ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare: Trapping

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ban the use of snares across the UK.

George Eustice: The Government takes animal welfare issues very seriously. My noble Friend, Lord de Mauley, has met interested parties from both sides of the debate. He has invited them to work with DEFRA to consider the range of solutions for improving welfare standards when managing fox and rabbit issues.
	As part of this we are working with stakeholders to improve the Government’s advice on how to comply with existing requirements.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the Rural Community Broadband Fund initiative; and if she will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: Applications under the Rural Community Broadband Fund have resulted in 22 projects, totalling around £13.5 million, both community and local authority led, for areas not in scope of the Government's mainstream superfast rollout programme. Of this, 17 local authority led projects have been developed totalling around £12.5 million and are due to be delivered as extensions to county council contracts under the main rollout programme. A further five community led projects have been contracted under the fund, representing approximately £1.15 million in grant funding. The fund is now closed.

Environmental Protection

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy position was on each of the three main priorities agreed at the European Environment and Health Ministerial Board in Vilnius, Lithuania on 1 July 2014.

Dan Rogerson: The membership of the European Environment and Health Ministerial Board (EHMB) comprises four environment Ministers, four health Ministers and four international institutions, appointed by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The UK is not a member.
	The Government's policy position towards the eventual elimination of asbestos-related diseases is well established. The UK has a high rate of asbestos-related disease because of our past use of very high levels of asbestos. Consequently, our regulatory system for controlling occupational asbestos exposure is now one of the strictest in the EU. For example, we license and closely regulate contractors carrying out the highest-risk work with asbestos and we require more proactive management of asbestos in buildings and structures. Within Europe, the Government is focused on the need for active compliance with agreed EU measures and for any proposed new measures to be risk based, realistically achievable and the result of proper impact assessment. We remain determined to continue to reduce present exposures to minimise any future death toll.
	The Government signed the Minamata Convention in October last year. We expect that the UK will be in a position to ratify it by 2018 when EU and probable consequent UK legislation is in place to provide for full implementation. A legislative proposal is expected from the European Commission early next year, which will then be considered by the UK along with other Member States.
	We recognise the importance of action to address air pollution and will consider carefully the initiative for a resolution at the World Health Assembly next year.
	The Government is committed to securing an ambitious, legally binding, global agreement with mitigation commitments for all by the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) in Paris, to come into force by 2020. We recognise the important link between tackling climate change and health, and welcome EHMB’s priority to support COP 21.

Exhaust Emissions: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on (a) air quality and (b) pollution levels caused by vehicles in Hartlepool constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA provides information about recent and historic levels of pollution, pollution forecasts, health advice and background modelled data on the UK-AIR website at:
	http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/
	Forecasts are issued daily and cover the next five days.
	Although DEFRA does not have a permanent monitoring station in Hartlepool, the nearest monitoring stations can be found on UK-AIR’s interactive monitoring networks map at:
	http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/interactive-map.
	Modelled data is provided for levels at roadside locations for major roads in the UK. This data can also be found at:
	http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/data/gis-mapping.
	Local authorities (in this case Hartlepool council) have a responsibility to assess air quality at a local level. DEFRA provides guidance and air quality assessment tools to support local authorities in carrying out their duties under the Environment Act 1995. This information can be found at:
	http://laqm.defra.gov.uk/.
	Local authorities report on the outcomes of assessments in air quality reports and submit the reports to DEFRA. Air quality reports include air quality monitoring data, pollutant emissions, sources of pollution and historical trends.
	Hartlepool council’s air quality reports do not apportion information on pollution levels between those caused by traffic vehicles and other sources.

Food Supply

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of the UK's food demand met by food grown in the UK; and what that figure was in (a) 1984, (b) 1994 and (c) 2004.

George Eustice: The proportion of UK food consumption that was produced in the UK was 63% in 1994 and 53% in 2004. The detailed trade data used in this calculation is not available before 1988.
	The latest available figures for 2013 give the proportion as 53%.
	A full-time series from 1988 to 2013 is available in Chapter 14 (table 14.5) of the publication “Agriculture in the United Kingdom” at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom
	An alternative and frequently used measure is the UK production to supply ratio for indigenous type food. This compares total national production with production excluding exports and including imports. It is not directly comparable with the domestic food consumption proportion above because it includes food that the UK exported which could have been consumed domestically. The UK production to supply ratio for indigenous type food for 2013 was 73%. “Indigenous type food” refers to types which can be produced in the UK on a commercially viable basis.
	A time series of the production to supply ratio is also available in table 14.1 and chart 14.5 in “Agriculture in the United Kingdom”.

Nature Conservation: Crime

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward legislative proposals to increase the penalties available for people convicted of wildlife crime; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: Strong penalties are already in place for wildlife offences.
	The Law Commission’s Wildlife Law Project has been considering the appropriateness of criminal offences and sanctions. It is due to present its final report and a draft Bill to Ministers at the end of the year. We will consider these issues further in the light of the Law Commission’s final recommendations.

Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Greyhound Regulations 2010; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: No assessment of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 has yet been made. They are due for review five years after they came into force, which will be April 2015.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Parking Enforcement

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to prevent unfair parking enforcement practices.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to prevent unfair parking enforcement practices.

Eric Pickles: This Government is bringing forward a range of measures to make local parking fairer for residents and shoppers.
	This includes changing the law to clamp down on CCTV “spy cars”, introducing grace periods, and giving local taxpayers the right to demand a review of parking in their area.

Community Integration

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to help encourage integration in local communities.

Stephen Williams: We are supporting a wide range of exemplar projects to break down barriers, encourage local action, promote British values and create the society everyone can participate in. This includes projects to help people remember the personal contribution made by their relatives and communities in the Great War.

Local Government Finance Settlement

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of the local government finance settlement on communities with the highest levels of need.

Kris Hopkins: Councils facing the highest demand for services still receive substantially more funding per dwelling. The 2014-15 average area spending power per dwelling for the 10% most deprived authorities is almost 50% greater than for the least deprived 10%.

Council Tax

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in receipt of (a) war disablement pension, (b) war widows pension, (c) war widowers pension, (d) guaranteed income payments, (e) survivor's guaranteed income payments he estimates pay increased council tax bills as a result of recent changes to council tax support in England.

Kris Hopkins: The Department does not collect data about individual claimants and has no plans to do so. These are local schemes, and it is for local authorities to ensure that the effect on specific groups of council tax payers is proportionate and fair. We made a £100 million transition grant available in 2013-14 to help councils develop well-designed schemes and maintain incentives to work.
	Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Government, costing taxpayers £4 billion a year-equivalent to almost £180 a year per household. Welfare reform is vital to tackle the budget deficit left by the last Administration.
	Our reforms to localise council tax support now give councils stronger incentives to support local firms, cut fraud, promote local enterprise and get people to into work. We are ending the last Administration’s ‘something for nothing’ culture and making work pay.

Fire Services

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department audits the annual reports submitted to it on operations of fire and rescue services; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: Section 25 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires the Secretary of State to report to Parliament every two years on the extent to which fire and rescue authorities are acting in accordance with the Fire and Rescue National Framework, which includes a requirement that authorities publish an annual statement of assurance on financial, governance and operational matters. A copy of that report has been placed in the Library of the House.
	On 15 July 2014 the Secretary of State reported that he was satisfied that each fire and rescue authority in England had been acting in accordance with the Framework.

Housing: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of changes in the (a) number and (b) value of houses in (i) Greater Manchester, (ii) the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport and (iii) the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in each year to 2020.

Brandon Lewis: Historic statistics for housebuilding completions by district are published in the Department's Live Tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building
	Historic dwelling stock estimates, by district, can be found at Live Table 125 (annual):
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants
	Historic statistics on average house price by district are published in the Department's Live Tables 581 (mean, quarterly), 582 (median, quarterly), 585 (mean, annually) and 586 (median, annually) which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-housing-market-and-house-prices
	The Department does not publish forecasts of overall house building and average house prices.

Private Rented Housing: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of (a) flats, (b) houses and (c) houses of multiple occupancy in the private rented sector in Warrington in each year since 2008; and what the cost was of privately renting a (A) one bedroom flat, (B) two bedroomed house and (C) room in a house of multiple occupancy in each such year.

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not collect data on the number or cost of privately rented flats, houses and houses of multiple occupation by local authority district.
	Statistics on the estimated number of dwellings in the private sector (owner occupied and private rented combined) by local authority district, including Warrington, from 2009 to 2013, are published in the Department's Live Table 100, which is available at the following link.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants
	Census estimates of the number of privately rented flats and privately rented houses, in 2011, for local authority districts, including Warrington, are available at this link.
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/search/index.html?newquery=ct0259
	Statistics on the private rental market for local authority districts, including Warrington, are published by the Valuation Office Agency and are available at this link.
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/statisticalReleases/PrivateRentalMarketStatistics.html

JUSTICE

Buildings

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review his departmental estate in order to reduce costs; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: Since the start of the Spending Review (SR10) the size of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) estate has reduced by over 600 properties to nearly 1,500 properties. As a result, lower business as usual costs have been achieved. We have removed nearly 50% of the administrative estate from our portfolio over the last four years. We have already reduced 180 to 98 administrative properties in England and Wales including from 18 to 4 administrative properties in London, saving over £34 million a year.
	As part of the Government’s Strategic Land and Property Review, Departments have already committed to reforms expected to release land worth £3.5 billion between 2015 and 2020, with a further £1.5 billion expected to be identified following the outcome of operational reviews.
	The Ministry of Justice continues to work with the Government Property Unit to ensure that the Ministry of Justice estate operates in an efficient manner and represents value for money.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the latest State of the Estate Report (SofTE) which reports annually on progress made during the year in improving the efficiency of the Government’s civil estate. This is available online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/state-of-the-estate
	The latest space savings mean that the estate is 2 million square metres smaller since January 2010, the result of consistent efforts by Departments to reduce their property holdings and increase the efficiency of the space they occupy.
	This reduction in the size of the estate has been achieved through extensive co-operation between Departments and agencies in engaging with place-based strategies, as well as the continuing impact of the National Property Controls (NPCs).
	NPCs include a moratorium on the acquisition of new properties and a presumption that leases will be surrendered at the earliest contractual opportunity. Exemptions are allowed only with Cabinet Office approval if they meet strict value or space-saving criteria.

CAFCASS

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many complaints have been made against the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in the last three years; and how many such complaints have been upheld;
	(2)  how many complaints have been (a) made and (b) upheld against the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in the last three years.

Simon Hughes: The following table sets out the number of complaints received by CAFCASS in each of the last three years:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of complaints 
			 2011-12 1,264 
			 2012-13 1,496 
			 2013-14 1,596 
		
	
	In 2012 CAFCASS simplified their complaints process, reducing the number of stages involved from three to one and ending the classification of complaints as ‘upheld’. Figures for the number of upheld complaints during this period do not, therefore, exist. The focus of the complaints system is now on putting things right for service users while their case is ongoing so that any necessary remedial action can be taken.
	The rising trend shown by the figures is, in part, a reflection of the increase in the volume of cases which CAFCASS dealt with during this period. However, the main factors which have contributed to the rising trend are CAFCASS’ focus on raising awareness of the complaints process for service users.

Contempt of Court: Sentencing

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were imprisoned for contempt of court before each division of the legal system in each month since May 2013.

Michael Penning: The following table sets out the number of people who were received into custody for contempt of court between May 2013 and March 2014 (the latest available figures). Contempt of court covers a wide variety of conduct which undermines or has the potential to undermine the course of justice.
	
		
			 Receptions into prison1 for contempt of court, May 2013 to March 2014, England and Wales 
			  Number 
			 2013  
			 May 11 
			 June 8 
			 July 13 
			 August 14 
			 September 7 
			 October 12 
			 November 7 
			 December 6 
			   
			 2014  
			 January 8 
			 February 7 
			 March 8 
			 1 This excludes imprisonment in court cells and police cells. Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Courts: Hearing Impaired

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of courtrooms do not have induction loops installed.

Shailesh Vara: HM Courts and Tribunals Service operates a reasonable adjustments policy to provide access to information and services for customers with disabilities.
	Information on the number of court rooms with induction and infra-red hearing enhancement systems is currently being collected as part of the 2014 court room survey. I will write to my hon. Friend, as soon as the information is available.

Courts: Sunderland

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 10 October 2013, Official Report, column 377W, on courts: Sunderland, what progress has been made on plans to rebuild Sunderland court.

Shailesh Vara: No decision has been made on the future use of the site which was proposed for the Sunderland Justice Centre. All significant estate decisions, including new investment proposals such as the Sunderland scheme, are assessed and considered through departmental governance processes to ensure that they offer value for money to the taxpayer.
	HM Courts and Tribunals Service continues to keep the use of its estate under review to ensure it meets operational requirements.

Dangerous Driving

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many drivers charged with dangerous driving offences were made to surrender their licence as a condition of bail in the last year.

Shailesh Vara: Bail conditions are recorded on HMCTS’ case management systems as a free text field. As each condition is a unique data entry and there is no common field that could be aggregated to enable central collation they cannot answer this question. The only way it could be answered would be to manually check every case where conditional bail has been granted at any point during the case and check both the conditions and the offence or offences. This would incur disproportionate costs.

Driving Offences

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department will publish the review of all driving offences and penalties announced on 6 May 2014.

Michael Penning: The Government’s review of driving offences and penalties announced in May 2014 is ongoing. The timing of any publication of the review’s findings and recommendations will be considered once the review is completed.

EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times the UK has lost EU infraction proceedings since May 2010 which relate to matters that fall within his Department's responsibility.

Shailesh Vara: The UK has never been fined in relation to a breach of European Law. However, the European Court of Justice ruled on 13 February 2014 (Case C-530/11) that the UK was in breach of its obligations under the public participation directive to ensure the costs of going to court in respect of environmental matters are not prohibitively expensive. The Department is currently in discussion with the European Commission regarding the Court’s judgment.

Fines: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much in fines was levied by each magistrates' court in Greater Manchester in 2013-14; and what proportion of such fines were subsequently (a) written off and (b) collected by each court.

Shailesh Vara: It is not possible to identify the amounts imposed, written off and collected for individual magistrates courts as data on fines imposed is recorded by local accounting divisions. The only way data for individual courts could be obtained is to carry out a manual search of all fine accounts. This would incur disproportionate cost.

Insolvency

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether an impact assessment will be made before the Statutory Instrument to end the temporary exemption for insolvency litigation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act is laid before Parliament.

Shailesh Vara: In April 2011 the Government published an Impact Assessment in relation to the reforms set out in Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012.
	It explained that while there may be a reduction in the number of cases brought where no win no fee conditional fee agreements are used, overall the LASPO reforms will tackle excessive costs. The Government does not propose to update the Impact Assessment in relation to insolvency proceedings.
	The LASPO reforms will apply to insolvency proceedings from April 2015. As provided in the Act, implementation will be by way of Commencement Order.

Legal Aid Scheme: EU Countries

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on levels of spending on legal aid in each EU member state; what assessment he has made of where the UK ranks in relation to other EU member states in respect of such spending; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: Legal aid forms a vital part of our justice system and the Government strongly believes that access to justice is the hallmark of civil society.
	The most recent EU data allowing international comparisons of legal aid spend was collected in 2010 and published in 2012 by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ). This can be found at:
	http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/cepej/evaluation/2012/Rapport_en.pdf.
	This shows that the legal aid budget approved for England and Wales of 2.521 million euros, was the highest of any of the 41 countries assessed. For more detail, see table 2.1 in the publication.
	The publication also shows the annual public budget allocated to legal aid per inhabitant, which controls for countries having different population sizes. This shows that in 2010, England and Wales was second highest of the 41 countries assessed, with 45.7 euros of the public budget allocated to legal aid per inhabitant, compared to an average of 7.7 euros for the other European countries. The country with the highest legal aid allocation per inhabitant was Northern Ireland with 53.5 euros. For more detail, see figure 2.22 in the publication.

Magistrates Courts: Crawley

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on building, refurbishment and maintenance in Crawley Magistrates' Court in each year since 2009-10.

Shailesh Vara: Completing large-scale refurbishment work at the Crawley Magistrates Court has resulted in greatly improved facilities for visitors and users of the building. The costs of building, refurbishment and maintenance at the Court since 2009-10 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			 2009-10 4.3 
			 2010-11 300.9 
			 2011-12 1,073.8 
			 2012-13 2,731.7 
			 2013-14 152.1 
		
	
	These costs include capital and resource costs related to the refurbishment of the property, maintenance of the land, building and equipment (including general maintenance and cleaning).
	HM Courts and Tribunals Service continues to keep the use of its estate under review to ensure it meets operational requirements.

Network Rail

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the National Rail framework agreement published on 1 September 2014, when he plans to lay the draft regulations to make Network Rail subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and under what parliamentary procedure he plans to ask the House to approve those regulations.

Simon Hughes: Draft regulations to extend the Freedom of Information Act to Network Rail in relation to functions of a public nature that it performs will be laid as soon as possible so that it is subject to the Act by April 2015 at the latest. The regulations, to be made under section 5 of the Act, are subject to affirmative resolution procedure.

Network Rail

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reasons are for the time taken to lay regulations to make Network Rail subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Simon Hughes: The regulations to extend the Freedom of Information Act to Network Rail will cover the functions of a public nature that it performs in accordance with section 7(5) of the Act. The Ministry of Justice and Department for Transport will work with Network Rail to identify correctly those functions and make sure that they are appropriately described in the draft regulations before they are laid. Section 5(3) of the Act requires that we consult Network Rail about its inclusion before regulations are made.

Police Cautions

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what types of indictable-only offence a caution was issued in each year since 2009; and how many cautions were issued for each type of offence in that period.

Michael Penning: Simple cautions are a non-statutory disposal available to the police to dispose of any offence committed by an adult and designed for dealing with low level, mainly first time offending. The Ministry of Justice issues guidance on the process to be followed by the police and the CPS when they are administering simple cautions for adult offenders. This guidance states that the use of a simple caution for indictable only offences should only be given following authorisation by the CPS. These will be cases where there were exceptional circumstances which would mean that it was not in the public interest to prosecute.
	Since 2007 the overall number of simple cautions issued has halved. The cautioning rate, that is, the number of offenders cautioned as a percentage of offenders who were either cautioned or convicted, in 2013 was 20%; which has declined from a peak of 31% in 2007.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract.

Shailesh Vara: The information is as follows.
	(a) Since the start of January 2010 the Ministry of Justice has let 114 contracts with a estimated value between £1 million and £3 million, and 189 with a estimated value over £3 million. Please note this figure can vary between points in time as forecast contract value at award can be more or less than actual contract value as the contract progresses—this means contracts could fall into, or drop out of, the parameters specified above.
	The Ministry of Justice cannot accurately provide a figure for the number of contracts it plans to let. The department will evaluate each requirement on a case by case basis before making the decision to engage with the market or continuing to deliver the service in-house.
	The private sector has an important role to play in helping deliver much needed reforms. We remain committed to promoting a diverse market including public, private and voluntary sector, as well as ensuring rigorous contract management and high standards of behaviour.
	We have undertaken a major review of contract management to ensure that we have in place robust and accountable systems.
	(b)We are unable to answer the second part of the question as doing so would incur disproportionate costs. To provide this information would entail contacting all individuals responsible for the operational and commercial management of contracts, performance managers, audit and others. We would then be required to do a cost analysis of the time that individual allocated to the management of the respective contract.

Right of Search

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many joint search warrants have been applied for by the police and another applicant and issued by the courts in England and Wales in the last five years; and who the other applicant was in each such case.

Shailesh Vara: HMCTS does not collate this information centrally. Warrants of entry are issued by magistrates courts and each magistrates court that issues warrants maintains the data associated with it in a manual log. Courts are required to hold warrants issued for a period of three years. Only manual checks at every magistrates court could answer this request, and even then only for the last three years. This would incur disproportionate costs.

Road Traffic Offences

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department's Review of Motoring Offences will be published.

Michael Penning: The Government’s review of driving offences and penalties announced in May is ongoing. The timing of any publication of the review’s findings and recommendations will be considered once the review is completed.

Sentencing: Females

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many women aged 18 years and above from each ethnic group were sentenced to custody for a first offence, broken down by (a) offence type and (b) sentence length in the last two full years for which data is available.

Simon Hughes: Sentencing decisions are entirely a matter for the independent judiciary. When considering the appropriate sentence, the judge will take into consideration a number of factors, including the seriousness of the offence and the impact that the crime has had on the victim.
	All courts must follow guidelines issued by the independent Sentencing Council. The judge will take into account any mitigation which might include personal circumstances, expressions of remorse and a guilty plea. While the sentencing framework and guidelines apply equally to everyone, any differences in sentencing outcomes may therefore occur for a number of reasons, including the types of crimes committed and the seriousness of the offence.
	We are committed to making sure sentencers have robust community options at their disposal. We are working with partners in Greater Manchester on a pathfinder aimed at providing sentencers with robust and effective sentencing options in the community that may divert women from custody, where appropriate. Learning from the pathfinder will inform a new operating model for working differently with women in the criminal justice system. We have also legislated to make sure that the needs of female offenders are addressed under our Transforming Rehabilitation reforms. Companies bidding for contracts will be expected to demonstrate an effective approach to the identification and recognition of women’s needs, as well as protected characteristics, to make sure that individual needs are properly addressed. They will be held to account to deliver these services in their contracts. With the Advisory Board on Female Offenders, we have produced guidance for new providers on working with female offenders.
	Table 1 shows the number of female offenders aged 18 and above sentenced to immediate custody for a first offence by ethnicity and offence class in England and Wales in 2012-13.
	Table 2 shows the number of female offenders aged 18 and above sentenced to immediate custody for a first offence by ethnicity and sentence length in England and Wales in 2012-13.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of female offenders1 aged 18 and above sentenced to immediate custody for a first offence2 by ethnicity3 and offence class in England and Wales, 2012-13 
			   Ethnic appearance3  
			  Offence category White Black Asian Other Unknown All 
			 2012 Violence against the person 92 20 12 4 6 134 
			  Sexual offences 23 0 0 0 0 23 
			  Robbery 11 5 1 0 0 17 
			  Theft offences 188 11 16 2 7 224 
			  Criminal damage and arson 16 0 2 0 0 18 
			  Drug offences 42 16 7 12 1 78 
			  Possession of weapons 10 2 1 1 1 15 
			  Public order offences 6 2 1 0 0 9 
			  Miscellaneous crimes against society4 114 113 30 25 15 297 
			  Fraud offences 107 34 20 11 2 174 
			  Summary non motoring 24 4 5 2 1 36 
			  Summary motoring 8 0 0 0 0 8 
			  Total 641 207 95 57 33 1,033 
			         
			 2013 Violence against the person 75 12 10 1 5 103 
			  Sexual offences 16 2 0 0 0 18 
			  Robbery 8 2 0 0 0 10 
			  Theft offences 170 10 7 7 8 202 
			  Criminal damage and arson 12 1 1 1 0 15 
			  Drug offences 53 9 8 14 1 85 
			  Possession of weapons 5 1 0 0 0 6 
			  Public order offences 3 0 0 0 1 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Miscellaneous crimes against society4 120 96 25 25 25 291 
			  Fraud offences 89 16 8 7 9 129 
			  Summary non motoring 18 6 1 0 2 27 
			  Summary motoring 6 0 0 0 0 6 
			  Total 575 155 60 55 51 896 
			 1 Figures are based on counting the number of sentencing occasions for offences committed by offenders who were prosecuted by police forces in England and Wales including the British Transport police. 2 The first offence is the first conviction recorded on the PNC for an offender who committed an offence in England and Wales where an immediate custodial sentence was given. 3 Ethnicity identified and recorded on the PNC by police officer according to the appearance of offenders not as those self-identified and recorded on census. 4 Miscellaneous offences contains a large number and variety of offences, in the case of first time female adult offenders the most common offences are: with intent knowingly possess false/improperly obtained/anothers ID document; Identity Cards Act 2006 S.25(1)(2)(6); possess/control identity documents with intent; attempting to pervert the course of Justice; assisting unlawful immigration to member state. Immigration Act 1971 S.25 as added by Nationality, Immigration & Asylum Act 2002 S.143. Note: All data have been taken from the MOJ extract of the Police National Computer. This includes details of all convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings given for recordable offences (see www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/1139/schedule/made for definition). It is therefore possible that some offenders presented in the table above have previously also received convictions for offences not recorded on the PNC. Source: Ministry of Justice, Police National Computer (PNC). 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of female offenders1 aged 18 and above sentenced to immediate custody for their first offence2 by ethnicity3 and sentence length in England and Wales, 2012-13 
			   Ethnic appearance3  
			  Sentence length White Black Asian Other Unknown All 
			 2012 Up to and including 3 months 103 20 8 13 3 147 
			  Over 3 months and up to and including 6 months 91 53 14 12 8 178 
			  Over 6 months and up to and including 12 months 128 58 29 14 10 239 
			  1 - 2 years 180 40 18 8 5 251 
			  2 - 4 years 118 25 17 8 6 174 
			  Over 4 years5 15 8 6 1 1 31 
			  Unknown4 4 1 0 0 0 5 
			  All 639 205 92 56 33 1,025 
			         
			 2013 Up to and including 3 months 85 11 4 11 7 118 
			  Over 3 months and up to and including 6 months 65 54 6 8 17 150 
			  Over 6 months and up to and including 12 months 137 43 17 19 16 232 
			  1 - 2 years 155 27 16 13 4 215 
			  2 - 4 years 104 18 14 4 7 147 
			  Over 4 years4 15 2 1 0 0 18 
			  Unknown5 4 0 0 0 0 4 
			  All 565 155 58 55 51 884 
			 1 Figures are based on counting the number of sentencing occasions for offences committed by offenders who were prosecuted by police forces in England and Wales including the British Transport police. 2 The first offence is the first conviction recorded on the PNC for an offender who committed an offence in England and Wales where an immediate custodial sentence was given. 3 Ethnicity identified and recorded on the PNC by police officer according to the appearance of offenders not as those self-identified and recorded on census. 4 Excludes life sentences. 5 Includes cases where sentence length was not recorded on the PNC. Notes: 1. The totals in table 1 and table 2 are different as life sentences have been excluded. 2. All data have been taken from the MOJ extract of the Police National Computer. This includes details of all convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings given for recordable offences (see www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/1139/schedule/made for definition). It is therefore possible that some offenders presented in the table above have previously also received convictions for offences not recorded on the PNC. Source: Ministry of Justice, Police National Computer.

Telephone Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice under what timetable his Department plans to phase out use of telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0845, 0844 and 0843 in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidance on customer service lines published in December 2013 and (b) 03 and 08, where 03 is the primary number under a dual numbering system.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice is making good progress towards phasing out telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0845, 0844 and 0843 in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidance on customer lines published in December 2013 and (b) 03 and 08, where 03 is the primary number under a dual numbering system. The Department is widening engagement across the business to ensure a comprehensive solution within the Cabinet Office timelines, which allow until November 2014 for implementation.
	Further to my answer to the hon. Member’s parliamentary question of 23 June 2014, Official Report, column 11W, the Department has recently ordered the cancellation of 16 of the higher-rate numbers in the County Court Business Centre (CCBC) in Northampton, reducing the overall total of higher-rate numbers operated by the Department from 34 to 18.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Claims Management Services

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice and the Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland on the regulation of claims management companies in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I have had no discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice, or David Ford, the Minister of Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive on these matters, nor have I received any representations from hon. and right hon. Members or MLAs to do so.
	The Ministry of Justice is responsible for regulating the activities of businesses providing claims management services in England and Wales under Part 2 of the Compensation Act 2006. This includes businesses based outside England and Wales but which carry out regulated services there.
	The question of regulating companies providing claims management services in Northern Ireland but which do not provide such services in England and Wales and are therefore not subject to Ministry of Justice regulation, is one for Northern Ireland Executive Ministers to consider.

Northern Ireland Government

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she had with US Senator Gary Hart when he visited Northern Ireland in the last week of August 2014; and what the subjects were for discussion.

Theresa Villiers: Senator Hart and I discussed a range of issues as part of his recent visit. I made clear to him that the Government is pressing for a resumption of all-party talks on flags, parades and the past, and that we want to see progress on implementation of welfare reform.

Northern Ireland Government

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the First and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland; and what issues were discussed;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the First and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland regarding the killings in Ballymurphy in West Belfast in August 1971.

Theresa Villiers: I am in regular contact with the First and Deputy First Minister to discuss a range of issues, including the importance of resuming all-party talks on flags, parades and the past, the need for the Executive to reach agreement on the implementation of welfare reform in Northern Ireland, and the need to implement the provisions of the economic pact agreed between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Public Records

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence since 16 October 2013 regarding the release of documents relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote under the 30 year rule.

Theresa Villiers: I have not yet had the chance to discuss this matter with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence but would be happy to do so.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Speaker: Elections

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to implement the recommendation of the Procedure Committee in its Fifth Report of 2010-12, 2010 Elections for Positions in the House, HC 1573, paragraph 19, that the House be invited to decide whether on the first day of a new Parliament, where the Presiding Member's decision on the question that a former Speaker take the Chair is challenged, the question should be decided by secret ballot or by open division.

William Hague: The Government agrees with the Procedure Committee that it is a matter for the House to determine.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Carol Mills

Simon Burns: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether (a) Mr Speaker and (b) other members of the panel were informed by the headhunters, Saxton Bampfylde, of the potential problem surrounding Ms Mills in the Australian Parliament before the decision was taken to recommend Ms Mills' appointment as the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive.

John Thurso: Saxton Bampfylde provided written notes on each candidate interviewed on 30 July, and a representative of the company was available to talk to the panel if required. The notes on Ms Mills did not refer to an investigation into the use of closed circuit television footage by officers of the Parliament of Australia’s Department of Parliamentary Services.

Data Protection

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what reassessment has been made of the security of files and emails containing sensitive material relating to constituents being stored by PICT in a cloud system in the light of the recent security breach of the iCloud system.

John Thurso: It is not the practice of the Commission to comment on security matters in any detail.
	However, Parliamentary ICT does not use the iCloud System and was not impacted by recent reported security breaches of this system.
	We use a Government accredited Cloud service for emails and files.
	Parliamentary ICT took advice from Legal Services and the Director of Parliamentary Security, scrutinising the agreement with the Cloud service supplier to confirm that safeguards are in place to protect the security of data when it entered into these arrangements.
	Further advice and guidance for Members can be found on the ICT security pages on the Parliamentary Intranet.

Speaker: Visits Abroad

Michael Fabricant: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the (a) date, (b) location and (c) cost of all official overseas visits undertaken by the Speaker was in each of the last five years.

John Thurso: The travel costs of the Speaker and the Members of Parliament and/or House Officials he travels with are routinely published on Parliament's website. These costs may be found at:
	http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/speakers-office/the-speakers-official-travel-expenses/

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions of (a) cyber and (b) cyber-enabled crimes have been initiated in each the last five years; and how many such prosecutions were successful.

Robert Buckland: Neither the Crown Prosecution Service nor the Serious Fraud Office centrally record the number of prosecutions initiated, or those which resulted in a successful outcome, relating to cyber or cyber-enabled crime. A number of offences may involve the use of a computer or a network in the commission of the offence. To obtain details of the number of cases where defendants were alleged to have been involved in cyber or cyber-enabled crimes would require a manual review of individual case files to be undertaken which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Domestic Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 551W, on official visits, what domestic visits he and his predecessor have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

Robert Buckland: I have nothing to add to the previous answer given by my hon. Friend, the previous Solicitor-General.

TRANSPORT

A14

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will publish the methodology behind the benefit-cost ratios calculated for each of the schemes funded in the £1.5 billion works commissioned to improve the A14;
	(2)  if he will publish the benefit-cost ratios for each of the schemes funded in the £1.5 billion works commissioned to improve the A14;
	(3)  what weighting was given to environmental benefits when calculating the benefit-cost ratio for each of the schemes funded in the £1.5 billion works commissioned to improve the A14.

John Hayes: The Highways Agency published the benefit cost ratios of options for the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme in September 2013 in the ‘Technical Review of Options’ report to support the public consultation.
	Following the decision not to toll in December 2013, a re-evaluation was carried out, on the proposed scheme without tolling and to compare its performance with other feasible non-tolled options. The proposed non-tolled option resulted in a BCR of 2.3 (published in the Public Consultation report in April 2014).
	Both the ‘Technical Review of Options’ and the ‘Public Consultation’ reports are available on the Highways Agency website
	http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a14-cambridge-to-huntingdon-improvement-scheme/
	The methodology for the appraisal of Environmental Impacts is prescribed in Web-based Transport Analysis Guidance (WebTAG) and is dependent upon the scheme’s stage of development. WebTAG is the Department for Transport’s guidance on the transport appraisal process which supports the development of investment decisions and the assessment of potential benefits or disbenefits of a scheme. The most up to date WebTAG guidance has been used.
	The appraisal of the environmental impacts of the proposed scheme has and continues to consider both the built and natural environments and people. The environmental impacts that are considered are noise, air quality, greenhouse gases, landscape, townscape, the historic environment, biodiversity and the water environment.

Blackpool North Station

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions officials in his Department have had with Network Rail on the timetable for temporary closure of Blackpool North station in relation to the electrification of line track in the last two months.

Claire Perry: In the last two months Network Rail has had regular meetings with Department officials and train operators to discuss the overall programme of rail improvement in the North of England, including discussion regarding the timing of the temporary closure of the line serving Blackpool North Station. Train operators have put to Network Rail a strong view that the temporary closure of Blackpool North station for the works should fall outside Blackpool’s holiday season.

Blackpool North Station

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions officials in his Department have had with Network Rail on the implications of the works at and around Blackpool North station for (a) capacity, (b) flexibility and (c) frequency of services in and out of Blackpool North station.

Claire Perry: Network Rail has had regular meetings with Department officials and train operators to discuss the overall programme of rail improvement in the North of England and these have included the implications of any works at Blackpool North station as well as other stations affected. The Network Rail and industry process has ensured that the new Blackpool North infrastructure has the capacity and the capability to handle the projected medium and long term demand growth.

Cherished Number Plates

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the transfer and retention of cherished vehicle numbers to be a transaction that is available to complete online.

Claire Perry: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is introducing an online Personalised Registration system, which will allow customers to retain and subsequently assign a personalised registration number to a vehicle electronically. This will effectively replace the cherished transfer process as customers will be able to retain and immediately assign a registration number to a different vehicle.
	The DVLA has adopted an agile development approach, working in partnership with stakeholders, and looks forward to releasing the components of cherished transfers online, including retention, starting in early 2015 and continuing throughout the year.

Cycling: Accidents

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of (a) men, (b) women and (c) child cyclists suffered (i) fatal and (ii) serious injuries in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Goodwill: The number of killed and seriously injured pedal cyclists in Great Britain who were male, female or a child (aged 0 to 15) in the years 2004 to 2013 is given in the tables. The proportion of killed and seriously injured pedal cyclists who were male, female or a child for each year is given.
	
		
			 Pedal cyclist fatalities by gender, selected age and severity: GB, 2004-13 
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Male 107 131 122 112 97 83 85 85 109 90 
			 Percentage share 80 89 84 82 84 80 77 79 92 83 
			            
			 Female 27 17 24 24 18 21 26 22 9 19 
			 Percentage share 20 11 16 18 16 20 23 21 8 17 
			            
			 Child: 0-15 years 25 20 31 13 12 14 7 6 13 6 
			 Percentage share 19 14 21 10 10 13 6 6 11 6 
			            
			 All ages 134 148 146 136 115 104 111 107 118 109 
		
	
	
		
			 Seriously injured pedal cyclists by gender, selected age and severity: GB, 2004-13 
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Male 1,816 1,811 1,898 1,978 2,009 2,156 2,162 2,536 2,650 2.586 
			 Percentage share 84 82 83, 81 82, 83 81 82, 82 82 
			            
			 Female 358 399 398 450 441 450 498 549 572 557 
			 Percentage share 16 18 17 19 18 r7 19, 18 18, 18, 
			            
			 Child: 0-15 years 552 507 472 509 405 444 391 392 311 276 
			 Percentage share 25 23 21 21 17, 77 15 13 10 9 
		
	
	
		
			            
			 All ages 2,174 2,212 2,296 2,428 2,450 2,606 2,660 3,085 3,222 3,143 
		
	
	Data for 2014 will be available in June 2015.

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many former employees of (a) the Driver Standards Agency and (b) the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency have resigned since the organisations merged into the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Claire Perry: Within the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, there have been 37 resignations since the merger between the Driver Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency on 2 April 2014 (some of whom are yet to leave the business).

Driving Tests

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average waiting time for a driving test was in each year since 2010.

Claire Perry: The average waiting time for a driving test (measured in weeks) in each year since 2010 was:
	
		
			 Vehicle Type 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Car 7.9 6.5 6.2 6.2 
			 Motorcycle Mod 1 3.4 2.5 3.4 2.0 
			 Motorcycle Mod 2 3.9 3.1 3.5 2.2 
			 Vocational 3.1 2.9 2.9 2.8 
			 ADI part 2 13.4 3.6 3.8 3.8 
			 ADI part 3 1— 4.3 4.1 3.9 
			 1 Indicates a brace. 
		
	
	The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency measures the average waiting times by financial year not calendar year. The waiting times for Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) part 2 and part 3 tests were not measured separately until 2011-12.
	For 2010-11 and 2012-13 all waiting times were service standards and for the 2011-12 and 2013-14 they were internal measures. The targets (in weeks) are included in the following table.
	
		
			 Vehicle Type 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Car 6.0 7.7 6.0 6.0 
			 Motorcycle Mod 1 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 
			 Motorcycle Mod 2 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 
			 Vocational 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 
			 ADI part 2 and part 3 3.0 6.0 3.0 6.0

Driving Tests

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the discrepancy is between the number of driving examiners and the required number in the UK; and what it was in each year since 2010.

Claire Perry: These figures are published in our Annual Reports and Accounts, which show the number of examiners (FTEs) as at the 31 March each year.
	
		
			  Plan Actual Difference 
			 March 2010 1,929 1,789 140 
			 March 2011 1,885 1,730 155 
			 March 2012 1,782 1,780 2 
			 March 2013 1,741 1,719 22 
			 March 2014 1,704 1,644 60

Driving: Licensing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what average time was taken to process driving licence applications where medical investigations were needed in each year for which figures are available.

Claire Perry: The average time taken to process driving licence applications where medical investigations were needed is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Average processing time (working days) 
			 2009-10 24 
			 2010-11 27 
			 2011-12 30 
			 2012-13 42 
			 2013-14 39

Driving: Licensing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time taken to process a standard application for a driving licence was in each year for which figures are available.

Claire Perry: Since 2010, the average time taken each year to process a standard driving licence application is five working days. This includes the time taken for the driving licence to be delivered to the customer.

Highways Agency

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Highways Agency has been subject to legal challenge by a local authority in each of the last 10 years.

John Hayes: The only figures available are the total number of legal challenges by any organisation or person against the Highways Agency in each of the last 10 years. These are in the following table. The figures include any challenges by local authorities but we do not hold a breakdown of these figures. The research to establish a breakdown of these figures could only be undertaken at disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Number of cases opened 
			 2004 50 
			 2005 57 
			 2006 71 
		
	
	
		
			 2007 51 
			 2008 65 
			 2009 71 
			 2010 63 
			 2011 46 
			 2012 41 
			 2013 26 
			 2014 47

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Working Hours

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) British and (b) foreign national drivers of HGVs were found to be breaking the drivers' hours regulations in each year since 1997; how many were prosecuted in each such year; and what penalties were imposed.

Claire Perry: The information requested is in the following table.
	Only fixed penalties and prosecutions have been included as these refer specifically to drivers’ hours and tachograph record offences. Penalties are imposed by the courts and will vary depending on which court deals with the case. Penalties are either a prohibition, a fixed penalty notice or a fine imposed by a court.
	All offences carry the same maximum penalty. The fine (and costs) ultimately imposed is determined by each bench dependent on the facts of the case. A majority of offences are dealt with by a magistrates court with the more serious being dealt with at the Crown court.
	
		
			 VOSA roadside drivers hours checks and outcomes 
			  Nationality of the vehicle Fixed Penalty 
			  GB Foreign For drivers hours and tacho & records offences 
			  Checked Prohibited Checked Prohibited GB Foreign Number reported Number of convictions 
			 2007-08 46,325 7,339 30,606 7,329 — — 4,274 3,520 
			 2008-09 53,219 9,158 46,335 9,913 — — 6,801 5,959 
			 2009-10 57,501 8,229 82,371 13,714 2,547 9,981 4,517 4,108 
			 2010-11 51,426 8,263 70,647 11,171 2,000 7,983 3,498 3,364 
			 2011-12 44,517 8,766 56,445 9,586 2,343 6,382 5,475 3,965 
			 2012-13 37,388 7,251 43,408 7,771 1,972 5,191 4,995 3,794 
			 2013-14 38,972 5,070 39,006 6,077 2,022 4,675 5,990 4,050

Lawn Mowers: Insurance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions the Government has had with EU institutions on the possibility of insurance cover being required for ride-on lawnmowers.

Robert Goodwill: We have raised our concerns in the European Court of Justice and have discussed the matter with the Commission at official level. We have taken note of the ECJ’s judgment and we will continue to engage actively with the Commission to achieve as sensible an outcome as possible.

M180

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the Highways Agency closed the M180 in August 2014; and if he will direct the Highways Agency to take steps to prevent a reoccurrence of that closure during future holiday periods.

John Hayes: The Highways Agency closed the M180 eastbound carriageway between junction 3 and the M18 junction 5 in August 2014 to carry out essential maintenance to the carriageway. The work required deep excavation to carry out repairs to the concrete foundations and needed time for the concrete to harden and for the bituminous layers to cool and set before traffic could run on the finished road surface. This type of work is best carried out in the summer months when the weather conditions are most favourable.
	The decision to close the carriageway to carry out the works was based on balancing the impact of the works on motorists with an intention to minimise the overall duration of the works. It is clear now that this outcome was not achieved; the agency recognises that road users suffered significant delays and it has apologised for this.
	A thorough review of the planning and execution of the works is being carried out by the agency and the lessons learnt from this will be used to mitigate any reoccurrence of such delays.
	The remaining work on the M180 has been reprogrammed so that it is carried out overnight when traffic flows are low. The agency is re-consulting local authorities to agree traffic management proposals and diversion routes. Proposals will be scrutinised closely to ensure that they are robust and any residual risks are mitigated.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) land and (b) buildings of what value belonging to the Coastguard Service have been sold since May 2010.

John Hayes: The proceeds from the sale of land and buildings previously used by Her Majesty’s Coastguard sold since May 2010 are as follows:
	
		
			  Value (£) 
			 Land at  
			 Cley 8,200 
			 Mundesley £3,500 
		
	
	
		
			 Daedalus 1,520,000 
			 Eday 2,500 
			   
			 Buildings at  
			 Hartlepool 18,200 
			 Cley 40,000 
			 Mundesley 41,700 
			 Eday 5,001 
			 Porlock 25,286

Parking

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that private parking enforcement companies adhere to regulations pertaining to parking regulation and debt recovery.

Robert Goodwill: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may release vehicle keeper details to parking enforcement companies if they can demonstrate reasonable cause to receive it. To help ensure motorists are treated fairly when any parking charge is pursued, vehicle keeper information is disclosed only to companies that are members of an Accredited Trade Association (ATA). The ATA carries out stringent checks on companies before allowing them to join and monitors compliance of their code of practice that includes an independent appeals process. If a company fails to comply it can be suspended or expelled, during which time no data will be provided to it by the DVLA.
	Beyond that, parking on private land is essentially a private contractual arrangement between the car park owner and the motorist. Any ongoing disputes over unpaid parking charges would be pursued as civil matters through the relevant courts. The Government would not be involved.
	However, the Government has amended the consumer protection regulations to make it simpler and clearer for consumers to bring their own actions to seek compensation when they have been the victims of misleading or aggressive debt collection practices. The new rights come into force on 1 October 2014 and apply to all types of debt collection including parking on private land.

Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) direct employees, (b) outsourced workers and (c) agency workers in executive agencies which report to his Department are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Claire Perry: The Department for Transport does not pay any direct employees or agency workers in its executive agencies less than the Living Wage. We do not hold information on the earnings of outsourced workers.

Public Transport: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers using Transport for London-operated transport have been taken ill as a result of excessive heat since January 2013.

Robert Goodwill: According to Transport for London (TfL), there have been 59 instances since January 2013 on the London Underground where the records specify heat as the reason for, or a contributing factor towards, customer illness. The actual number may be different as, for various reasons, it is not always possible to provide an accurate picture of why passengers are taken ill. Transport for London do not have any records of passengers being taken ill since January 2013 as a result of excessive heat on trams, London Overground or the Docklands Light Railway. In respect of buses, Transport for London are unable to provide the information requested. This is because TfL only have a log of passengers taken ill if a bus driver has called them for assistance, and the cause of illness is not generally recorded.

Public Transport: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many penalty fares Transport for London has issued since 2010.

Robert Goodwill: Across all forms of transport excluding Tramlink, Transport for London have issued 497,744 Penalty Fares since January 2010. This includes notices that were subsequently cancelled. A breakdown of Penalty Fares issued across the different modes of transport is as follows.
	London Bus network
	2010 to date-205,093
	London Overground
	2010-4,860
	2011-9,666
	2012-12,954
	2013-13,938
	2014 to date-14,555
	Subtotal-55,973
	London Underground
	2010-20,570
	2011-14,961
	2012-19,906
	2013-19,118
	2014 to date-14,833
	Subtotal-89,388
	DLR
	2010-29,025
	2011-45,186
	2012-35,706
	2013-25,850
	2014 to date-11,523
	Subtotal-147, 290
	Penalty Fare figures for Tramlink are recorded per financial year, not calendar year. In the financial years since 2010-11, 58,050 Penalty Fares have been issued. A breakdown can be found as follows.
	Tramlink
	2010/11-13,128
	2011/12-12,490
	2012/13-12,398
	2013/14-14,188
	2014 to date-5,846

Railways: Air Conditioning

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department gives to train operators on standards of air conditioning in their carriages.

Claire Perry: The Government issues no guidance with regard to air conditioning. All rolling stock is owned by the rolling stock companies (ROSCOs), and leased by the train operating companies (TOCs). If the ROSCO wish to modify their asset while on lease to a TOC then they are able to do so by agreement and will make that investment based on their own assessment of value for money.

Railways: North of England

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to publish in full the public responses to the consultation on the future franchise proposals covering routes currently served by Northern and Transpennine Express trains; and if he will publish, either in summary or full, the responses to that consultation before any decision on the award of the new franchises.

Claire Perry: The Department for Transport will publish a Stakeholder Briefing Document alongside the Invitations to Tender for the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises, which are expected to be published in December this year. This document will provide a summary of responses to the consultation and how they have been taken account of in the specifications. There are no plans to publish all of the responses to the consultation in full.

Road Signs and Markings

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the confidence of drivers in the information conveyed by dot matrix information signs on motorways and trunk roads.

John Hayes: The Highways Agency carries out a continuous survey with road users, tracking satisfaction and expectations with the services provided by the agency including variable message signs (dot matrix information signs). In respect of surveys carried out during 2013-14, 9% of respondents said that the messages on these signs were unhelpful, while 72% of respondents found that the signage was mostly or completely accurate in the same period.
	Nevertheless, I have asked my officials to examine once again the effectiveness of various approaches to messaging with a view to developing a coherent policy.

Road Signs and Markings

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that motorway information signs convey information that is up-to-date and accurate.

John Hayes: In response to a Department for Transport performance measure, the Highways Agency has prepared an Information Plan for 2014-15. The plan sets out a series of actions to look at quality and accuracy of information it provides through its traffic information services, including motorway information signs.
	By improving data flow and processing, the Highways Agency will improve the quality and timeliness of all information services. A new system to be used in the Highways Agency’s National Traffic Operations Centre is currently being tested. This system has been specifically designed to assist operational staff in more accurately locating incidents and responding to the effects of an incident. The improvements, which will be delivered in early 2015, will ensure more timely and accurate information on variable message signs as well as other information services such as smartphones and websites.
	Additionally, information relating to estimated travel times between strategic junctions will be improved. Interfaces to other systems are also being enhanced to provide more timely information such as weather information which may cause disruption to drivers.
	Alongside technology changes, the Information Plan is making use of improved customer knowledge. Using their recently established customer panel, the Highways Agency gathers views about how people want to receive information and how they interpret the messages the Highways Agency displays. This knowledge will inform future developments of our information services.

Road Traffic Control

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside enforcement checks were completed by the Vehicle Operators Services Agency or the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on (a) cars and (b) heavy goods vehicles in each year for which figures are available.

Claire Perry: The information requested is in the table below. It is important that the HGV figures are not added together. On any given check it is often the case that the same vehicle is checked by a Vehicle Examiner and a Traffic Examiner and will be counted against both disciplines. Some vehicles/operators are targeted by only one discipline, for example, an older vehicle might be targeted for its condition but not to check on the driver.
	
		
			 Roadside checks by VOSA and DVSA 
			   HGV 
			  Cars Roadworthiness Roadworthiness inc. Trailers Traffic examiners—Vehicle tax, operator licences 
			 2007-08 9,958 83,032 76,931 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 8,991 125,856 99,554 
			 2009-10 10,502 186,909 139,872 
			 2010-11 7,415 161,096 122,073 
			 2011-12 3,077 135,745 100,962 
			 2012-13 2,588 115,709 80,796 
			 2013-14 2,922 115,208 77,978

HEALTH

Abortion

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in each of the last two years; and how many took place in each week of gestation.

Jane Ellison: The information is available in Table 5 of the Annual Abortion Statistics for the years 2012 and 2013. Copies of these publications have already been placed in the Library.

Air Pollution

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures Public Health England is considering in developing a programme to reduce the deaths attributable to air pollution.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) has begun developing a programme in support of national and local government to reduce the estimated 25,000 deaths each year in England attributable to air pollution. Long-term exposure to air pollution is understood to be a contributory factor to deaths from respiratory and, particularly, cardiovascular disease, i.e. unlikely to be the sole cause of deaths of individuals. This means that it is likely that air pollution contributes a smaller amount to the deaths of a larger number of exposed individuals rather than being solely responsible for a number of deaths equivalent to the calculated figure of 'attributable deaths'.
	Recognising the role of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and measures already taken, PHE will work with national and local stakeholders and public health partners to develop advice and further actions which can be taken to reduce the health burden caused by particulate air pollution at the local authority level.

Air Pollution

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities in England and Wales have (a) assessed air pollution in their latest Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and (b) prioritised action on air pollution in their latest health and wellbeing strategy.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not hold this information. Public Health England publishes estimates of the fraction of mortality in English local authority areas and regions attributable to long-term exposure to particulate air pollution arising from human activities. This information is published as one of the indicators in the Department’s Public Health Outcomes Framework. These estimates will inform local health and wellbeing boards’ development of their Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and health and wellbeing strategies.

Anorexia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that psychological tests able to screen for anorexia are available through the NHS.

Norman Lamb: Treatment for eating disorders is provided through child and adolescent mental health services and through adult mental health services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the treatment of anorexia which includes tools that can be used to diagnose eating disorders.

Cancer: Drugs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates since 1 July 2014 NHS England has discussed with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reforming the way in which NICE assesses the cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs; what the content of those discussions was; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: I understand that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England met on 28 July, 4 August and 26 August to discuss arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund, including its interaction with the NICE appraisal process.
	NICE recently consulted on options for better assessing the value of new drugs and is currently considering the responses to that exercise.

Cancer: Drugs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the statement by Peter Clark of NHS England that cancer drugs on the list of treatments which are approved for funding must be re-evaluated, reported in The Guardian's article of 28 August 2014 entitled 'Cancer Drugs Fund gets £160 million more for innovative treatments' through what process cancer drugs will be re-evaluated; and whether cancer drugs will be subject to assessments of their cost-effectiveness;
	(2)  what cost-per-quality-adjusted life-year thresholds NHS England will attach to its assessments of the cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs for the purposes of assessing whether they should be funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: NHS England has oversight of the Cancer Drugs Fund.
	NHS England has advised that work is currently underway to determine the process for reviewing drugs on its national list of cohort policies and on how best to assess costs in relation to clinical benefit delivered.

Cancer: Drugs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the forecast level of expenditure on the Cancer Drugs Fund will be in the 2014-15 financial year.

George Freeman: NHS England has oversight of the Cancer Drugs Fund.
	We are advised that NHS England has not published a forecast for expenditure through the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2014-15.
	On 28 August 2014, we announced that the size of the fund would be increased to £280 million in both 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Cancer: Drugs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what outturn expenditure on the Cancer Drugs Fund was in the 2013-14 financial year, for each treatment funded.

George Freeman: NHS England has published figures which show that in 2013-14, overall expenditure through the Cancer Drugs Fund was £230,539,005. I understand that NHS England has no plans to publish a further breakdown. Further information can be found at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/cdf-summ-fin-pos-13-14.pdf

Community Nurses

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district nurses were employed in each local authority area in England in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Daniel Poulter: The national health service annual workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, shows the number of district nurses working for the NHS in England as at 30 September each year.
	Data for the NHS workforce cannot be mapped to local authority area, therefore census data has been provided by Health Education England region for 2010-13. As data for Health Education England regions can only be mapped back to 2010, the data for 2009 is presented by strategic health authority area.
	The number of full-time equivalent district nurses working in NHS Hospital and Community Health Services from 2009 to 2013 has been placed in the Library. The latest available statistics are as at 30 September 2013 and were published on 25 March 2014.

Cosmetics

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of regulation of the cosmetic industry; and whether he plans to propose further regulations relating to that industry.

Daniel Poulter: On 24 April 2013, the independent ‘Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions’, chaired by Sir Bruce Keogh, was published. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	The review highlighted how the rapid growth of the cosmetic interventions sector is exposing people who undergo these procedures to a concerning lack of safeguards. It made recommendations to improve the quality of care, to inform and empower the public and to ensure resolution and redress when things go wrong.
	We fully accept the principles of the Keogh review and the overwhelming majority of the recommendations. The ‘Government Response to the Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions’, was published on 13 February. The response looks to strengthen standards through better training and robust qualifications, and explores how far supervision from regulated professionals might support self-regulation of the sector. A copy of the response has already been placed in the Library.
	We want to protect the public and ensure proper training and oversight of both non-surgical and surgical cosmetic interventions and we are looking at ways to legislate where required to achieve this. Officials are working with key delivery partners such as the Royal College of Surgeons who have set up an inter-specialty committee to ensure standards for cosmetic surgery and they are working with the General Medical Council on a code of ethical conduct. Health Education England (HEE) is leading on a review of training for providers of non-surgical interventions, such as botulinum toxin (commonly known as 'Botox') and dermal filler injections. HEE will be publishing their findings on the training framework soon. Work is also under way on a breast implant registry to reassure women that if problems arise they can be contacted, kept informed and called in for treatment if necessary.
	There are examples of high quality surgical and non-surgical cosmetic interventions provided by trained staff to high standards of care and satisfaction. It is these high standards that must be universal.

Doctors' List of Patients

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average GP list size was in (a) England, (b) Greater London and (c) Enfield in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Average GP practice list size by selected areas in England, 2009-13 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 England 6,637 6,610 6,651 6,891 7,034 
			 London area team1 5,706 5,774 5,789 6,113 6,213 
		
	
	
		
			 Enfield clinical commissioning group1 4,775 4,667 4,904 5,617 5,798 
			 1 Work force data is available by national health service organisation only, not geographical regions such as Greater London. Greater London is captured by London area team and Enfield by Enfield clinical commissioning group. Prior to 2013, the area of London was serviced by London strategic health authority and Enfield was serviced by Enfield primary care trust. There is no break in the data as the old and new London organisations are coterminous and therefore the data is still comparable over the years provided. As per the latest GP contract, patients register with a GP practice and are attributed to the practice, not a specific GP. Data quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data, but responsibility for data accuracy resides with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed, but unless it is significant at national level, figures are not updated. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Statistics. Patient registration information taken from National Health Application and Infrastructure Services Exeter GP payments system.

Electronic Cigarettes

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate potential savings to the NHS from more widespread use of e-cigarettes.

Jane Ellison: There is not yet enough evidence on the impact of e-cigarettes on tobacco smoking to make an estimate of their impact on national health service costs. Some research suggests they have the potential to reduce the harms of smoking by supporting attempts to quit, and while e-cigarettes are not risk free, they carry a lower risk to health than tobacco smoking.

Electronic Cigarettes

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has assessed or commissioned on whether e-cigarette vapour carries health risks to bystanders.

Jane Ellison: The Department has not to date directly commissioned any research on this topic but is keeping the research that has been done under review.
	The studies that have been conducted to date indicate that the risk of passive exposure to electronic cigarette vapour is small relative to tobacco cigarettes.

EU External Trade: USA

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will veto the inclusion of NHS services in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement.

Jane Ellison: The Government does not believe that the United Kingdom’s interests would be served by seeking to exclude health from the scope of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. This would prevent our world-class pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors from benefiting from improved access to the United States’ market, increasing growth and employment in the UK.
	The Government considers trade in both goods and services to be good for the UK and we already have many bilateral and multilateral trade agreements in place. For example, through the general agreement on trade in services (GATS) 1995, we have long-standing agreements on trade, including in health services. The UK’s aim in relation to health services in Free Trade Agreement negotiations, including TTIP, is to maintain commitments that are broadly in line with our existing obligations under GATS.
	We have no intention of allowing the TTIP to dictate the opening up of national health service services to further competition; and it will not do so. The NHS will always be free at the point of use for everyone who needs it.
	We have made clear our commitment that the NHS will always be there for everyone who needs it, funded from general taxation, free at the point of use. The TTIP could not change this.
	TTIP will also not affect the position that it is for local NHS commissioners to take decisions on which providers should deliver services in the best interests of their patients.

EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new EU directives and regulations have been transposed into UK law by his Department since May 2010.

Jane Ellison: Details of all European Union legislation, including full details of all EU Directives and Regulations that have come into force since May 2010, can be found on the Commission’s website:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html
	The Department has transposed seven EU Directives and implemented four Regulations since May 2010.

Headaches

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people in each age were diagnosed as suffering from migraine in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what NHS support and treatment is available for people diagnosed as suffering from migraine.

Norman Lamb: Information concerning the number of people diagnosed each year as suffering from migraine is not collected.
	The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline, ‘Headaches: Diagnosis and management of headaches in young people and adults’, published in 2012, sets out best practice for healthcare professionals in the care, treatment and support of people who suffer from headaches. The guideline includes specific information on the management of migraines, such as the prescribing of appropriate pain-relief medication.

Health Services: Private Sector

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what health services have been privatised in Mid Yorkshire in the last 12 months; and what the cost was of tendering those services.

Jane Ellison: The Department collects information on expenditure with private sector providers, but not to which providers local contracts have been awarded.
	In 2013-14, commissioners’ spending on health care from private sector providers equated to approximately 6% of total national health service expenditure.
	Whether services are provided by the public, voluntary or private sector, they remain publicly funded and free at the point of delivery with access based on clinical need.
	It is for local commissioners to decide how best to secure local services and take decisions on which is the most capable provider to deliver those services in the best interests of their patients. There is no requirement for commissioners to put all services to competitive tender.

Hearing Aids: Staffordshire

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations his Department has made to North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group about its proposal to end the provision of NHS hearing aids;
	(2)  what representations his Department has received about the proposal from North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group to end the provision of NHS hearing aids.

Norman Lamb: A search of the Department’s ministerial correspondence database identified 66 written representations received between 27 June 2014 and 2 September 2014 about North Staffordshire clinical commissioning group’s (CCG) proposals to decommission the funding of hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate age-related hearing loss.
	The provision of hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss is a matter for local commissioners and is based on the needs of the local population.
	As such the Department has made no representations to North Staffordshire CCG about this matter.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which providers are commissioned to deliver the human papillomavirus vaccine; whether each such provider is a GP practice, an NHS organisation or an independent sector organisation; in which area of the UK each such provider operates; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) vaccination programme is primarily delivered through the school health childhood vaccination programme and therefore by the providers commissioned by NHS England Area Teams. Provider information and contractual information is not held centrally but determined locally.
	General practices also deliver a small number of HPV vaccinations where individuals may have missed the opportunity to be vaccinated at school.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on categorising modification to genomic DNA in mitochondria through pronuclear transfer or maternal spindle transfer as genetic modification.

George Freeman: holding answer 4 September 2014
	The Department decided that, because there is no existing universally agreed definition of genetic modification in humans, it would adopt a working definition. The definition that has been adopted is that genetic modification involves the germ-line modification of nuclear DNA (in the chromosomes) that can be passed on to future generations. We will keep this working definition under review.
	The proposed mitochondrial donation techniques do not constitute genetic modification.

Influenza: Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which providers are involved in the pilot programmes to extend the seasonal influenza vaccination to school-age children; how each provider is remunerated; in which area each operates; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The extension of the seasonal flu vaccine programme to school-age children is in its second year of pilots. The pilots have been set up to gather learning to inform the national rollout in 2015-16 to children of primary school age, aged four to six. The national health service England area teams with pilot sites and their method for delivering the programme being tested is included in the following table:
	
		
			 Pilot Area Team Model being tested 
			 Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear Cumbria: non-school based – pharmacies Northumberland, Tyne and Wear: school-based 
			 Greater Manchester A mix: existing providers in some localities and a private provider in one 
			 Lancashire School based 
			 North Yorkshire and Humber School based through existing providers 
			 South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw School based through existing providers 
			 West Yorkshire School based through existing providers 
			 Arden, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Modified Enhanced Service via general practice and pharmacies 
			 Birmingham, Solihull and The Black Country School based through existing providers 
			 East Anglia Mainly school based 
			 Essex All school based but using a mix of school nursing teams and specialist immunisation teams. 
			 Leicestershire and Lincolnshire School based through existing providers 
		
	
	
		
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire School based through existing providers in 2 London boroughs and covering all Special Schools 
			 London School based, year 7s only in Havering; looking at covering all Special Schools 
		
	
	The commissioning of the school-age flu programme is the responsibility of NHS England’s area teams and information on providers and contractual information is not held centrally but determined locally.

Learning Disability

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to reduce premature deaths among people with learning disabilities;
	(2)  what meetings he has had with external agencies on reducing premature mortality of people with learning disabilities since April 2013; and what progress he has made on reducing such premature mortality;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the examples of good practice detailed in the report Making Reasonable Adjustments to Primary Care Services -Supporting the Implementation of Annual Health Checks for people with learning disabilities, published in March 2014, are being implemented across the NHS.

Norman Lamb: In July 2013, the Government set out its response to the recommendations made in the Confidential Inquiry into premature deaths of people with learning disabilities which set out actions to reduce premature mortality among people with learning disabilities. Progress is monitored by the Learning Disability Programme Board (LDPB), which I chair. The board meets three times a year and includes membership from stakeholders and external agencies. An update report was presented to the LDPB on 17 July which will be published online shortly.
	NHS England is currently looking at how it can improve the uptake of annual health checks for people with learning disabilities and it has included this as a key objective in its Learning Disability Programme. The Learning Disabilities Public Health Observatory is working with NHS England to ensure the implementation plan is as robust as possible. This work will include examples of good practice from areas where uptake for health checks is high, and how to replicate these successes throughout the National Health Service.
	NHS England is also planning a workshop later this year to bring together key stakeholders, for example, Royal Colleges, Academic Health Science Networks, Primary Care, Strategic Clinical Networks and people with learning disabilities to discuss how quality of care and outcomes can be improved.

Mental Health Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the physical care of patients in mental health facilities is safeguarded.

Norman Lamb: This Government has legislated for equal priority for mental and physical health. Our mental health policy supports the developing of an integrated response to people with both mental and physical health problems to avoid diagnostic overshadowing and ensure the delivery of holistic care that properly addresses physical health care needs.
	The physical health care of people with mental health problems is a key component of the Parity of Esteem programme. The importance of the issue has been reinforced by the introduction of the first national CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) for mental health inpatients. This requires NHS trusts to implement physical health checks for all inpatients. NHS England is working in partnership with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, amongst others, to promote the CQUIN.
	Physical health checks form a key part of any care plan for mental health service users, including assurance of annual physical health checks by Care Coordinators overseen by their local general practitioner.
	NHS England is also working with a range of partners and service users to look at ways of improving physical health outcomes in secure mental health settings. This includes a range of physical health outcomes such as promoting healthier lifestyles for service users as well as looking at overall wellbeing.

Neuroblastoma

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve public awareness of neuroblastoma.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England runs a number of campaigns under the Be Clear on Cancer brand. These campaigns are aimed at the demographic groups most likely to develop cancer and to delay presentation, and focus on raising public awareness of the signs and symptoms of certain cancers. Priority has been given to those cancers with the largest number of potentially avoidable deaths—these include breast cancer (particularly targeting older women), bowel cancer, lung cancer and kidney and bladder cancers.
	There are no plans at present to include neuroblastoma specifically in the Be Clear on Cancer campaigns but the existing campaigns do help to encourage earlier presentation to general practitioners with any worrying symptom. We will continue to keep these campaigns under review and work with relevant experts to see what might be done to tackle other cancers such as neuroblastoma.

NHS: ICT

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arguments his Department advanced in favour of the decision that its dispute with Fujitsu regarding the National Programme for IT was not to be heard in public.

Daniel Poulter: There is a dispute resolution procedure in the Fujitsu contract which allows for disputes to be determined by alternative dispute resolution procedures, rather than court proceedings. The Department and Fujitsu have applied this procedure, which is not unusual for complex contractual disputes like this one.

NHS: ICT

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made in the dispute between his Department and Fujitsu over the National Programme for IT.

Daniel Poulter: The dispute with Fujitsu is ongoing and has not been settled.

NHS: ICT

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on legal costs in connection with its dispute with Fujitsu over the National Programme for IT.

Daniel Poulter: The Department’s legal costs in respect of this dispute, up to the end of the financial year 2013-14, are £33.3 million.

Obesity: Young People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS funding has been provided since 2010 for sending children under the age of 18 to weight loss camps.

Jane Ellison: Neither the Department, NHS England or Public Health England hold the financial details for national health service expenditure on weight loss camps. Weight management programmes form part of local authorities’ public health responsibilities and are commissioned and delivered based on local need.

Organs: North West

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people in (a) Denton and Reddish constituency, (b) Tameside local authority, (c) Stockport local authority and (d) the North West are registered organ donors.

Jane Ellison: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number and proportion of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) as at 2 September 2014 
			  Number of People on the ODR Percentage of population1 on the ODR 
			 Denton and Reddish Constituency 26,487 30.8 
			 Tameside Local Authority 65,156 29.6 
			 Stockport Local Authority 98,839 34.8 
			 North West Region 2,106,664 29.8 
			 1 Based on Office for National Statistics 2012 population estimates. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Plastic Surgery

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are employed by the NHS in determining whether plastic surgery will be funded by the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: Plastic surgery is a procedure used for repairing and reconstructing missing or damaged tissue and skin, usually due to surgery, illness, injury or an abnormality present from birth. Plastic surgery for these purposes is usually carried out free of charge on the national health service and is commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups. The NHS Choices website provides advice on access to plastic surgery and states that most patients are referred to NHS plastic surgeons by their general practitioner or specialist consultant.

Pregnancy: Folic Acid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pregnant women received folic acid through NHS prescription to prevent hydrocephalus in each of the last five years.

George Freeman: Information is not collected centrally on the number of people prescribed medicines or the medical condition being treated. However, information is available on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England. The following table provides information on folic acid for the latest available five year period:
	
		
			 Number of prescription items for folic acid, written in the UnitedKingdom and dispensed in the community, in England 
			  Items (Thousand) 
			 2009 3,459.8 
			 2010 3,953.8 
			 2011 4,426.0 
			 2012 4,930.1 
			 2013 5,444.2 
			 Source: Prescription Cost Analysis provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

Prescription Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on ensuring availability of drugs to treat cancer and MS in all parts of the UK.

George Freeman: We have had no such discussions.
	As the hon. Member will be aware, health is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Public Health England

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress NHS England has made in undertaking the detailed stocktake of compliance with its section 7A agreement with Public Health England, as detailed in its Business Plan for 2014-15 to 2016-17, published on 31 March 2014.

Jane Ellison: During March 2014, NHS England, through its four regions and 27 area teams, began an assessment of compliance with the service specifications of public health programmes covered by the section 7A agreement. Area teams discussed service specification compliance with service providers as part of 2014-15 contract negotiations and requested that, where they had not previously undertaken a compliance self-assessment against the service specifications, these were undertaken before the end of quarter one of 2014-15. Where providers identify that they are not fully compliant with the service specification, area teams discuss the impact with providers, agreeing a service development improvement plan to be delivered before the end of quarter four of 2014-15. These plans are supported by derogation (a licence to operate outside a national service specification for a time-limited period).
	NHS England will monitor the delivery of action plans and apply contract sanctions where necessary.

Skin Cancer: Health Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will take steps to ensure that the public are made aware of the dangers that may result from excessive exposure to the sun.

Jane Ellison: SunSmart is a national skin cancer prevention campaign run by Cancer Research UK for which the Department provided £150,500 between 2012-13 and 2013-14. This included a social media campaign, Made in the Shade, which aimed to reduce sunburn by encouraging young people to protect themselves from the sun. Launched at The Wireless Festival, the campaign encouraged 16 to 24-year-olds to spend more time in the shade when the sun is strong.
	In addition, between 2010-11 and 2013-14 the Department provided Cancer Research UK with £459,000 to test innovative approaches to influence young people to take action to prevent melanoma and help men from lower socio-economic groups report early stage melanoma. This included the R UV Ugly campaign, to raise awareness of the dangers of sunbeds and the benefits of skin checks in young women. The Department also funded Cancer Research UK to produce a primary care skin cancer recognition toolkit and to run a sun protection tracking survey to continue to measure awareness of skin cancer and the risks in the general public.
	We know that using sunbeds significantly raises the risk of skin cancer, particularly in younger people. Laws are in place to prevent under 18s from using sunbeds in commercial premises and businesses can be fined up to £20,000 for not complying. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing this.
	Public Health England ran a local “Be Clear on Cancer” pilot campaign in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset from 16 June to 27 July 2014 to raise awareness of the signs of skin cancer. The campaign was aimed at people over the age of 50 and the key message was
	“A change to a mole isn’t the only sign of skin cancer. If you notice any persistent or unusual changes to your skin, tell your doctor”.
	The campaign leaflet also informed people how to avoid sunburn and reduce their chances of getting skin cancer.
	This pilot was tested on a small, local scale first (using local radio, press, and outdoor advertising) to ensure that campaign messages are correct for the target audience and to assess the impact on national health service services. The results of the pilot are due in the coming months and will be evaluated before a decision is taken on whether the campaign will be extended to a wider, regional test.

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments have been received in the 2014-15 financial year by GPs for the delivery of vaccines through each routine immunisation programme, broken down by (a) item-of-service payment, (b) administration fee, (c) reimbursement cost, (d) Quality and Outcomes Framework reward and (e) Directed Enhanced Service payment; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Data for the current financial year is not yet available. Financial data on overall spend of vaccination and immunisation programmes is published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) once it has undergone routine checks and audits as set by the National Audit Office.
	HSCIC will publish the data for 2013-14 on 22 September 2014.

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has to update its guideline on reducing differences in the uptake of immunisation, published in September 2009; whether the guideline will be extended to include uptake in people over the age of 18 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for the review of its existing guidance.
	NICE published public health guidance on “Reducing differences in the uptake of immunisations” in 2009 and reviewed the need to update the guidance in consultation with stakeholders in late 2012. NICE announced in February 2013 its conclusion that the guidance did not need to be updated at that time.
	I understand that NICE intends to review again the need to update the guidance in 2015. Further information will be made available at:
	www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/PH21

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress NHS England has made in establishing performance floors for the delivery of each routine immunisation programme; what performance floors are in existence, for each immunisation programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: There is currently variation in performance on public health functions across the country. The S7A agreement recognises that action required to reduce the range of variation will be required over a period of time. Therefore, the intention of setting performance floors is to support Area Teams to reduce this variation in 2014-15 and address poor performance with providers, while maintaining the ambition for all areas to reach the national minimum standard.
	NHS England has worked with Public Health England (PHE) to set the performance floors for immunisation programmes for 2014-15 to identify all cases of unacceptable or low performance. The performance floor has been set as a minimum acceptable level of performance in 2014-15 and form the basis of a trajectory of continuing improvement.
	The development and definition of performance floors for immunisation programmes delivered by NHS England are a performance improvement tool for internal use to NHS England. They are defined as, ‘the top value of the bottom quintile of population coverage at the Area Team level’. The use of performance floors to drive improvements in immunisation coverage are at an early stage and will be continually reviewed. They are used as a contrast to the national standards (as defined by PHE) to support improvement initiatives. NHS England expects performance floors to move closer to the nationally defined standard as improvement initiatives are implemented.
	NHS England will assure it maintains and improves delivery and performance across all Area Teams for immunisation programmes within its commissioning responsibility as per the Public Health S7a agreement via the Public Health Oversight Group and Specific Immunisation Assurance Group.

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what immunisation programmes were offered by the NHS in the (a) 2013-14, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2011-12 financial year; to whom each vaccine was offered; what the size was of the eligible patient population for each immunisation; and what the uptake rate was (i) in England and (ii) in each NHS England area team;
	(2)  what routine immunisation programmes are (a) delivered through the National Immunisation Programme and (b) not delivered through the National Immunisation Programme; what age groups are covered by each immunisation programme; and in what year each immunisation programme was initiated;
	(3)  what proportion of the doses delivered in each routine immunisation programme are delivered by (a) GP practices and (b) other providers of care;
	(4)  what the eligible patient population was for each routine immunisation programme in the latest year for which figures are available; how many and what proportion of the eligible patient population was immunised in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Information relating to national health service immunisation programmes offered is not available by financial year. However, the immunisation programmes offered by the NHS since September 2012 can be found in the following documents, copies of which have been placed in the Library:
	“The complete routine immunisation schedule from summer 2014”
	“The complete routine immunisation schedule 2013/14”
	“The routine childhood immunisation schedule (September 2012)”
	Detailed information about the routine immunisation schedule and other recommended vaccines, which are not offered routinely, is contained in the document “Immunisation against Infectious Diseases”. This is a live scientific document which is constantly updated and available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation-against-infectious-disease-the-green-book
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes an annual report entitled “NHS Immunisation Statistics” which provides data on uptake of routine childhood immunisations, targeted routine childhood immunisations and seasonal influenza immunisation for those aged 65 years or over. Copies of the reports for 2011-12 and 2012-13 have been placed in the Library. The report for 2013-14 will be published later this month.
	Public Health England and the Health Protection Agency have published data on the uptake of immunisation against seasonal influenza and human papillomavirus disease. Copies of available reports for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-2014 have been placed in the Library.
	The timeline for the introduction of vaccination programmes in this country is available in the publication “Historical vaccine development and introduction of vaccines in the UK”, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	Detailed information on which provider administers vaccine is not collected nationally. The vast majority of immunisation programmes are delivered in general practice. The teenage HPV immunisation programme is largely delivered by school health services and childhood flu immunisation of school aged children will largely take place in schools.

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the outcomes were of each routine immunisation programme over the last 10 years; what steps he is taking to encourage greater levels of coverage over the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on what occasions over the last 10 years steps have needed to be taken to increase levels of coverage of vaccinations because coverage has fallen to significantly low levels; what outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease there have been in the UK in the last 10 years; what his definition of an outbreak is for this purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The Department and NHS England, advised by Public Health England, have produced a series of service specifications for the commissioning of immunisation services. These generally state that local services must ensure that they maintain and improve immunisation uptake with the aspiration of 100% of relevant individuals being offered immunisation.
	The local Directors’ of Public Health have responsibility for providing appropriate challenge to local immunisation arrangements and advocacy with key stakeholders to ensure access to vaccinations improved uptake by eligible populations.
	Coverage for most routine universal childhood immunisation programmes has improved over the last decade and is now approaching or above 95% in most English regions and continues to increase at a national level. Vaccine uptake in the UK is among the highest in the world. Annual immunisation coverage statistics are published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre and a copy of the most recent report for 2012-13 has been placed in the Library.
	Public Health England monitors vaccine coverage levels and works jointly with the NHS to encourage increased vaccination uptake, including through promoting vaccination to parents and carers through advertising and media campaigns.
	Public Health England defines outbreaks according to the World Health Organisation’s definition, which is that:
	‘A disease outbreak is the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season’.
	Cases of vaccine preventable disease are at historically low levels and in the last 10 years, national outbreaks have only been observed for three vaccine preventable diseases—mumps, pertussis and measles.
	During the early years of the century, for example, vaccine coverage of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) fell following the unfounded concerns about vaccine safety. In 2008, the Chief Medical Officer announced a national catch-up campaign to offer MMR to any individuals under 18 years of age to ensure they were fully protected. In April 2013, a national MMR catch up campaign in those aged 10 to 16 years was launched in England.

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what roles (a) his Department, (b) Public Health England, (c) NHS England, (d) immunisation providers, (e) clinical commissioning groups and (f) local authorities have in the delivery of immunisation services.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England and NHS England have published the “Immunisation & Screening National Delivery Framework & Local Operating Model”. This document sets out the immunisation roles and responsibilities of respective agencies involved, and how national, regional, and local operational and governance arrangements for national immunisation programmes in England are co-ordinated. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which routine immunisation programmes are in operation where the vaccines delivered through the programme are (a) centrally procured and (b) not centrally procured; what the reasons are for the different approaches; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Vaccines are centrally procured for the following national routine and at risk immunisation programmes:
	diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenza type b;
	pneumococcal disease;
	rotavirus;
	meningococcal group C disease;
	hib/Men C;
	measles, mumps and rubella (German measles);
	influenza;
	cervical cancer;
	shingles;
	tuberculosis; and
	maternal pertussis.
	Vaccines are not centrally procured for the following immunisation programmes for certain at risk groups: pneumococcal disease for the over 65s; influenza for the national flu programme (over 65s and those in risk groups); and Hepatitis B for infants.
	Central procurement of vaccines for the United Kingdom is generally considered where contracting for large quantities of vaccine is expected to result in economies of scale and purchasing power in relation to the infant and adult national immunisation programmes.

Vaccination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Immform process works for the ordering of vaccine supplies; which vaccine supplies may be ordered through the Immform process; for what reasons some vaccine supplies may not be ordered through the Immform process; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: ImmForm is a service provided by Public Health England to allow the national health service to order vaccines which are centrally procured for the national routine immunisation programme. Vaccines which are not centrally procured are ordered directly by the NHS from vaccine manufacturers, rather than via ImmForm.

Viagra

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each age group were prescribed Viagra through the NHS in each of the last five years.

George Freeman: Information is not collected centrally on the number of people prescribed medicines or the medical condition being treated. However, information is available on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England.
	Viagra is a brand name for the chemical Sildenafil. The following table shows the number of prescription items dispensed for Sildenafil, broken down by brand names, for the last five years.
	
		
			 The number of prescription items for Sildenafil (British National Formulary (BNF) Section 7.4.5 Drugs for erectile dysfunction), by brand name, written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community, in England1 
			 Thousands 
			  Napatra Sildenafil Viagra Total 
			 2009 — 1.1 1,231.8 1,232.9 
			 2010 — 1.3 1,274.8 1,276.1 
			 2011 — 1.1 1,278.3 1,279.4 
			 2012 — 1.4 1,286.2 1,287.6 
			 2013 2 0.6 830.7 566.6 1,397.9 
			 Notes: 1 Figures are for BNF Section 7.4.5 Drugs for erectile dysfunction only. Sildenafil also appears in BNF Section 2.5.1 Vasodilator antihypertensive drugs. 2 In June 2013 Viagra came of patent. There was a shift in prescribing practice with an increase in prescribing of Sildenefil by its generic name and a corresponding decline in the prescribing of the branded Viagra. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

Viral Haemorrhagic Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to prepare contingency plans in the event of an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the UK.

Jane Ellison: The risk to the United Kingdom of Ebola remains very low. The national health service has plans in place to deal with patients with infectious diseases as part of its core business. This includes plans to manage patients in line with infection control procedures, and where necessary in highly specialist infectious diseases facilities. We keep these plans under constant review.
	These plans have been tested most recently by the successful transfer back to the UK of a health care worker who became infected with Ebola when working with patients in Sierra Leone. The patient, a British national, was cared for in the national High Level Isolation Unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The patient has now recovered.
	In the unlikely event of an outbreak involving more than two people, specialist staff at this unit are trained and prepared to look after patients safely in an isolation ward, which would be dedicated for this purpose.
	It is extremely unlikely that an outbreak of Ebola would occur in the UK even if there was to be an imported case, as there are factors operating in West Africa which would not be seen in the UK.

Waste Disposal: Health Hazards

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Health Protection Agency study on the health effects of emissions from municipal waste incinerators to be published.

Jane Ellison: In January 2012, the Health Protection Agency, whose functions were transferred to Public Health England (PHE) on 1 April 2013, approved funding for the study.
	It was originally envisaged that preliminary results for this study on the health effects of emissions from municipal waste incinerator would be available by March 2014 but because of unanticipated complexity in gathering both emissions and health data this has been delayed. A paper with preliminary results is now expected to be published in 2015.
	PHE’s position that well run and regulated modern municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health remains valid, and the study is being carried out to extend the evidence base and to provide further information to the public on this subject.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Children: Abuse

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports her Department has commissioned into child abuse in the last 25 years; and what steps her Department took in response to the conclusions and recommendations in each such report.

Norman Baker: Data on reports commissioned is not collected centrally. However, the Home Office has published a number of potentially relevant research reports in the period in question which contain references to issues such as rape, young people and prostitution, child abuse victims and child sex offenders.
	A full list of Home Office Research reports are published in various series and are available either on the Gov.uk website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/about/research
	or on the National Archives website at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.html
	Conclusions and recommendations from research and other reports are routinely used by the Department to inform evidence based policy making.
	In addition, work is underway in the Home Office to establish what information was received in respect of Rotherham, and when that work has been completed, Richard Whittam and Peter Wanless will be looking at that process to make sure that it has been conducted absolutely properly.

Counter-terrorism

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last discussed with the head of the UK Border Force the effectiveness of exit and entry checks in disrupting flows of those who are believed to be travelling to or returning from committing acts of terrorism overseas.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, officials and others. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Domestic Violence

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that all victims of domestic violence are given equal protection irrespective of gender or sexual orientation.

Norman Baker: The legislative framework for protecting victims of domestic abuse already applies to everyone, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation.
	The coalition Government is currently consulting on whether the existing law on domestic abuse needs to be strengthened to offer better protection to victims.
	The consultation is focused on whether a specific offence should be created that captures patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate relationships, in line with the government’s non-statutory definition of domestic abuse. As part of this consultation, we welcome views on how all victims can be better protected.
	Details of the consultation can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-law-on-domestic-abuse
	The consultation closes on 15 October 2014, after which we will consider carefully the responses received to inform our proposals.

Entry Clearances

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tier 1 post-study work visas were issued in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Entry clearance visas granted—Tier 1—post study (main applicants) 
			  Number of applicants 
			 2009 4,244 
			 2010 5,360 
			 2011 5,926 
			 2012 4,931 
			 Note: The Home Office publishes annual statistics on entry clearance visas granted outside the UK, by category, in table vi_04 (Entry Clearance Visas volume 1) within the ‘Immigration Statistics’ release. Corresponding data on extensions of stay granted within the UK are published in table ex_02_w (Extensions). 
		
	
	A copy of the latest release, ‘Immigration Statistics April - June 2014’ is available from the Library of the House and from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Entry Clearances

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make an assessment of whether it would be cost-effective and secure to allow visa applicants within the UK the option of collecting documents from a designated office instead of relying on second class post.

James Brokenshire: UKVI is continually reviewing the customer contact arrangements to deliver best value and improved customer service. We use a combination of dispatch methods to send documents to our customers; the option selected in each case is determined by a number of factors including cost, the required speed of receipt, the monetary value, the need for evidence of delivery and the size of the package.
	In the UK, biometric residence permits are generally returned by courier and documents deemed to be lower value of sensitivity by second class post.
	A project is in train to enable overseas customers to collect biometric residence permits from a number of regional locations on their return to the UK. We will be reviewing the success of this project carefully to inform future decisions on methods of returning documents to our UK customers. A decision on establishing arrangements for customers to collect documents from UK would need to take into account many factors including the cost of providing reception facilities and the logistics of how to arrange the collections for people who are not located close to the decision making office.

Entry Clearances

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many small and medium-sized enterprises in each (a) district, (b) county and (c) unitary authority hold a Tier 2 general sponsor licence.

James Brokenshire: A Tier 2 sponsor is not required to provide its district, county or unitary authority as part of its sponsor licence application. The Home Office classifies sponsors by region, based on its postcode prefix. The following table shows the breakdown of small and medium-sized enterprises currently holding a Tier 2 general sponsor licence by region.
	
		
			 Small and medium enterprise (SME) sponsors with tier 2 general licence at: 1 September 2014 
			 Region Total Sponsors 
			 London & South East 13,682 
			 Midlands & East of England 3,028 
			 Wales & South West 1,172 
			 Scotland & Northern Ireland 1,123 
			 North East, Yorkshire & the Humber 906 
			 North West 875

Entry Clearances

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employers in the creative industries, as defined in the Government's 2001 Creative Industries Mapping Document, hold a Tier 2 general sponsor licence.

James Brokenshire: The number of Tier 2 general sponsor licence holders in the creative industry is 273.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tier 2 General Visas have been issued to international students since the withdrawal of the Tier 1 Post-Study Work Visa.

James Brokenshire: The available information relates to Tier 2 General grants of an extension of stay in the UK to people who were previously students and is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Broad previous category PBS—Tier 2 Sponsored with a job General 
			 2012 Study 2,538 
			 2013 Study 4,108 
			 Notes: 1. Data for 2013 are provisional figures. 2. Excludes EEA and Swiss nationals. 3. Includes reconsideration cases and the outcome of appeals. Source: Extensions data table expc_01_w Immigration Statistics April-June 2014 
		
	
	The Home Office publishes annual statistics on grants of an extension by previous category in tables expc_01 to expc_01_o within the ‘Immigration Statistics’ release.
	A copy of the latest release, ‘Immigration Statistics April - June 2014’ is available from the Library of the House and from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
	Information on the previous immigration status of those issued an entry clearance visa (applications made outside the UK) is not available.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis her Department has undertaken of the reasons for visa refusals arising from unconditional and conditional offers of student places; and if she will place this analysis in the Library.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has not undertaken any analysis of the reasons for visa refusals arising from unconditional and conditional offers of student places.
	An applicant for a visa to come to the UK as a Tier 4 student must hold a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) assigned by their Tier 4 sponsor.
	The sponsor assigns the CAS when they have made an unconditional offer of a place on a course of study at their institution.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many University-sponsored Graduate Entrepreneur Tier 1 visas have been issued since 6 April 2013.

James Brokenshire: The information available relates to all Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visas granted. Individuals may be endorsed by either UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) as part of the elite global graduate entrepreneur programme or by authorised endorsing UK higher education institutions (HEI). The data are given in the following table:
	
		
			 Entry clearance visas granted- Tier 1 - Graduate Entrepreneur (main applicants) 
			  Number 
			 2013  
			 Q2 0 
			 Q3 2 
			 Q4 11 
			   
			 2014  
			 Q1 46 
			 Q2 72 
			 Note: Data for 2013 onwards are provisional figures. Source: Table vi_04_q Immigration Statistics April-June 2014 
		
	
	The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on entry clearance visas granted outside the UK, by category, in table vi_04_q (Entry Clearance Visas volume 1) within the ‘Immigration Statistics’ release. Corresponding data on extensions of stay granted within the UK are published in table ex_01_q (Extensions).
	A copy of the latest release, ‘Immigration Statistics April - June 2014’ is available from the Library of the House and from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grants of settlement were given to Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa holders since 2009; and what the countries of origin were of those granted settlement.

James Brokenshire: The Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa gives no eligibility to apply to settle in the UK.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the full Standard Occupational Code groups for all international students employed under the former Tier 1 Post Study Work visa for 2011 referred to in her Department's Impact Assessment, Reform of the Points Based Student System, published on 1 June 2011.

James Brokenshire: Data on all international students employed under the former Tier 1 Post Study Work visa are not available.
	The Impact Assessment on ‘Reform of the Points Based Student (PBS) Immigration System’ uses survey data to make the assumption that 51 per cent of Tier 1 Post Study Work employees are in skilled employment. The survey data, which is for Tier 1 applicants, has a breakdown of the 2 digit standard occupational code groups. This can be found at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110314171826/http:/rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/horr22c.pdf
	see Table 1.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish her Department’s assessment of the effect of the Tier-1 Post Study Work route on domestic graduate unemployment levels; and what steps she took to ascertain the effect on employment amongst that group before her decision to close that scheme.

James Brokenshire: The Government’s assessment of the impact of closing the Tier 1 Post Study Work route was published in 2011 and is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-of-the-points-based-student-immigration-system
	The Government’s policy objectives were to reduce net migration, increase the selectivity of the immigration system and clamp down on abuse. Accordingly, the impact assessment did not consider the likely effect on domestic graduate unemployment. While the Government does not believe it appropriate to offer non-EEA nationals unrestricted access to the labour market at a time of high graduate unemployment, tier 4 (student) visa holders who obtain a graduate level job may remain in the UK on a tier 2 (skilled work) visa.

Football: EU Law

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the UK could continue to provide information to other EU member states currently provided under Council Decision 2002/348/JHA if the UK ceases to be bound by that decision on 1 December 2014;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the likelihood of the relevant authorities of other EU member states ceasing to provide information shared under Council Decision 2002/348/JHA if the UK ceases to be bound by that Decision on 1 December 2014.

Karen Bradley: A full impact assessment has been conducted on Council Decision 2003/348/JHA.
	Details of this assessment can be found in Command Paper 8897
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/326698/41670_Cm_8897_Accessible.pdf
	published on 3 July 2014.
	The UK could continue to provide information to other EU Member States if the UK did not rejoin this measure.
	However, the non-systemised exchange of information risks member states not having access to, or acting upon, relevant intelligence on UK football fans travelling to their country.
	This risks the safety of UK fans travelling abroad for football matches through inappropriate policing based on outdated information.
	The relevant authorities of other EU member states could continue to provide information under Council Decision 2002/348/JHA if the UK did not rejoin the measure, but would not be using a formalised system of communication in order to do so. Information exchange between member states independent of the structure and obligations of the measure risks making it more difficult to guarantee appropriate high quality information. The lack of structure and obligations would make it more difficult to identify the correct agency with which to deal and could lead to a reduction in the quality and quantity of information exchanged.

Human Trafficking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the nationality and gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in August 2014; in which (a) region and (b) county each of the suspected victims was found; which agency referred each person to the scheme; in which town was the shelter to which they were placed for the relevant period; and what contact is had with each victim after they exit the shelter to ensure they are not re-trafficked.

Karen Bradley: The data requested for August 2014 can be found on the Salvation Army’s website, at:
	http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/Anti_Human_Trafficking_Latest_Report
	Monthly reports are published on the website providing information on victims that have been supported. In the interests of the victim’s safety, only the region in which the victim was encountered will be provided.
	Upon leaving Government-funded care, a victim is provided with tailored support either to safely return home or integrate in the UK, if they are eligible to do so. Once a victim leaves the service, no formal mechanisms exist to maintain contact with them. However, ongoing support of victims is being considered as part of the review of the National Referral Mechanism.

London Airports

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Force personnel have been deployed at (a) Gatwick, (b) Heathrow, (c) Luton, (d) Stansted and (e) Southend airport in each year since 2008.

James Brokenshire: To ensure the integrity and security of the UK border, Her Majesty's Government cannot provide details of the number of staff deployed at specific ports.

Mental Health Act 1983

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department will publish the review of the operation of sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in England and Wales.

Norman Baker: The review of the operation of Sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 has completed the evidence-gathering phase and we are currently analysing the proposed options. The Home Office and Department of Health intend to publish a joint report later this year.

Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) direct employees, (b) outsourced workers and (c) agency workers in executive agencies which report to her Department are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Karen Bradley: All permanent members of staff directly employed by Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) are paid the Living Wage or above.
	HMPO can confirm all agency workers engaged by HMPO after a 12 week qualifying period are paid the equivalent of a permanent member of staff on the starting point of the equivalent grade pay scale. This is in accordance with the requirements placed upon the Department by the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (as amended). This therefore means all agency staff after the 12 week qualifying period are paid the living wage or above.
	HMPO does not keep information on the level of pay of staff employed by organisations contracted to provide services within HMPO.

Police and Crime Commissioners: West Midlands

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner by-election held on 21 August 2014.

Michael Penning: The cost of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) by-election on 21 August has been estimated to be £3.7 million. These costs are underwritten by the Home Office and will not come from funds that would otherwise have gone to police forces.

Students: Rape

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of rape on university campuses were reported to the police in each year since 2004; and how many reported cases led to successful prosecutions.

Norman Baker: The requested information is not availably centrally. The Home Office does not collect information on the exact location of rape offences.

Television

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the purchase of televisions in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date.

Karen Bradley: Information on expenditure on purchase of televisions in 2013 and 2014 is not held centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to obtain.

UK Visas and Immigration

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether staff answering calls to the UK Visas and Immigration MPs' Hotline who are not directly employed by the Home Office receive the same training and have access to the same information as staff who are directly employed.

James Brokenshire: All staff, whether employed directly or via an agency, receive the same training and have access to the same systems.

UK Visas and Immigration

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of staff answering enquiries to the UK Visas and Immigration MPs' Hotline have been directly employed by the Home Office in the last six months.

James Brokenshire: Between 1 January and 31 March 2014, two members of the team who answered UK Visas and Immigration MP's Hotline were employed via an agency.

UK Visas and Immigration

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what private companies have been contracted to answer enquiries to the UK Visas and Immigration MPs' Hotline in the last six months.

James Brokenshire: No private companies have been contracted to answer enquiries to the UK Visas and Immigration MP’s Hotline.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost is of the current security contract with G4S in Afghanistan; what the tender for the next such contract is worth; who has expressed interest in that contract; and when the contract will be awarded.

David Lidington: The current security contract which has been in place since February 2010 with G4S in Afghanistan is worth approximately £120 million and is due to end on 30 June 2015. The tender for the next such contract is worth an estimated value of £14-20 million per annum and is likely to reduce over the lifetime of the contract. As this is currently a live tender, we are unable to provide details as to who has expressed interest in this contract, since this information is commercially sensitive.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the validity of reports that the so-called Bahrain 13 were tortured during 2011.

Tobias Ellwood: The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry acknowledged reports in 2011, at the time these individuals were sentenced, which suggested that some of them had been abused in detention, denied access to legal counsel and coerced into confessing. We publically expressed concern at the decision by the Cassation Court to uphold the life sentences of these individuals, not least because of the reports of mistreatment and lack of due legal process.

Cameroon

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consular assistance is available to British nationals in Cameroon.

James Duddridge: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides consular assistance to British nationals overseas, including in Cameroon, in a range of situations as set out in our guide “Support for British Nationals Abroad”:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/317474/FCO_Brits_Abroad_2014.pdf
	The ability of the High Commission to offer consular services in the Far North, North and Adamaoua provinces is limited. Should a British national need assistance they should contact the British High Commission in Yaoundé. The Foreign Office advises all British nationals to refer regularly to Travel Advice for the most up to date country specific information.

Cameroon

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on recent Boko Haram attacks in Cameroon; and what assessment he has made of the implications of those attacks for regional security.

James Duddridge: Boko Haram concentrate their attacks in northern Nigeria but are regularly reported to operate in neighbouring countries, including Cameroon where they have conducted numerous attacks and kidnappings. In August 2014 Boko Haram were reported to have attacked a number of locations in northern Cameroon, including the towns of Fotokol, Kerawa and Achigachia. Boko Haram present a regional threat and therefore require a regional response. The UK is committed to supporting the region tackle the threat from Boko Haram. On 12 June the UK hosted a ministerial meeting for the region and international partners in London which the Foreign Minister of Cameroon attended. The meeting agreed measures to strengthen regional co-operation against Boko Haram. On 3 September I visited Nigeria, where I met both President Jonathan and Foreign Minister Wali. In those meetings I expressed the UK's deep sympathy for the plight of the school girls and discussed further measures for securing their release. The UK will continue to work closely with Nigeria and the international community to tackle the threat posed by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram.

Climate Change: Human Rights

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the effect of climate change on human rights in countries particularly affected by climate change.

James Duddridge: This Government is committed to securing a new global, legally-binding agreement on climate change by the end of 2015, which we firmly believe is the most effective way to minimise the impact of climate change on vulnerable states. The impact of climate change on the realisation of individuals’ human rights was most recently discussed at the UN Human Rights Council in June this year, when the Government supported a resolution on climate change and human rights and called for an expert discussion on how to address the adverse impacts of climate change on individuals’ human rights. We also continue to make it clear at all levels, and in all appropriate fora, that states should ensure they meet their human rights obligations when taking action to tackle climate change.

Embassies

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much UK embassies have spent on hospitality in the last two years.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertakes a wide range of activities to establish and maintain contacts throughout its network of over 270 overseas embassies, consulates and other posts. This includes meetings and events hosted for political and business delegations (including those in support of UK Trade and Industry) to promote British interests overseas and the prosperity agenda. For financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14, FCO expenditure on official representation and business hospitality undertaken at our overseas posts was £8,539,350.61 and £7,888,008.22 respectively. Any such spending is undertaken for business reasons, and is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Exports: Israel

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of use by Israeli forces of equipment containing UK components in breaches of international humanitarian law in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and if he will make a statement.

Tobias Ellwood: We reviewed all existing export licences to Israel during Operation Protective Edge. We found that the vast majority of exports currently licensed for Israel were not for items that could be used by Israeli forces in operations in Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas.
	On 12 August, the Government announced that 12 licences were identified for components which could be part of equipment used by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza. As we were unable to clarify whether export licence criteria was being met, we took the decision to suspend this small number of export licences if there was a resumption of significant hostilities.
	We monitored the situation closely and assessed that the resumption of hostilities when Hamas later broke the ceasefire was not enough to warrant a suspension.

Iran

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the human rights situation in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Tobias Ellwood: Iran's human rights record remains cause for grave concern. More than 200 people have reportedly been executed in 2014, with many more prisoners on death row at risk of imminent execution. The most recent (August 2014) figures from Human Rights Watch suggest that there are an estimated 895 political prisoners/prisoners of conscience in detention across the country. Freedom of expression continues to be suppressed with widespread internet censorship, the continuing closure of media outlets and systematic targeting of journalists and bloggers. Religious and ethnic minorities also continue to face widespread discrimination.

Iraq

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to help protect people living in ISIS-controlled areas of Iraq.

Tobias Ellwood: As the Prime Minister set out in his statement of 1 September, the Government will use all the resources at our disposal to tackle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This includes providing equipment to support Kurdistan Regional Government forces fighting against ISIL.
	The UK has also delivered airdrops to support those trapped by ISIL, and has committed £23 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have fled ISIL’s advances. The RAF have also been carrying out surveillance flights.

Iraq

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the safety of Christians in those parts of Iraq controlled by ISIL.

Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned for the safety of Christians in parts of Iraq controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). ISIL have targeted Christians and many other groups in areas under their control. I visited Iraq on 26 to 27 August and pressed the Prime Minister-designate Haider Al-Abadi to ensure his new Government in Iraq would ensure the protection of all minorities, promote human rights and reassert the rule of law.

Iraq

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to international organisations on the protection of Christians in those parts of Iraq controlled by ISIL.

Tobias Ellwood: We are working closely with our international partners, including NATO and the EU, to try to assist and protect civilians, including Christians and other groups, from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The UK brought forward UN Security Council Resolution 2170, which was adopted unanimously, and co-sponsored a Human Rights Council Resolution on ISIL’s abuses which was passed on 1 September 2014.

Iraq

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to protect Christians in northern Iraq.

Tobias Ellwood: We are providing humanitarian assistance to those who have fled areas of Iraq controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and have taken part in a series of air drops to people trapped by ISIL. We are providing military assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting ISIL as set out in the Prime Minister's statement on 1 September so that they can restore control over the areas taken by ISIL.

Iraq

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation for Christians in northern Iraq.

Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned for the safety of Christians in parts of Iraq controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). ISIL have targeted Christians and many other groups in areas under their control. The UK has carried out a number of air drops via the RAF to deliver humanitarian aid.
	During my visit to Iraq in late August 2014, I pressed the Prime Minister-designate Haider Al-Abadi to ensure his new Government in Iraq would ensure the protection of all minorities, promote human rights and reassert the rule of law.

Iraq

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the safety of Christians in those parts of Iraq currently controlled by ISIL.

Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned for the safety of Christians in parts of Iraq controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). ISIL have targeted Christians and many other groups in areas under their control.
	I visited Iraq in late August and pressed the Prime Minister-designate Haider Al-Abadi to ensure his new Government in Iraq would ensure the protection of all minorities, promote human rights and reassert the rule of law.

Iraq

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to international bodies on the protection of Christians in those parts of Iraq currently controlled by ISIL.

Tobias Ellwood: We are working closely with our international partners, including NATO and the EU, to try to assist and protect civilians, including Christians and other groups, from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The UK brought forward UN Security Council Resolution 2170, which was adopted unanimously, and co-sponsored a Human Rights Council Resolution on ISIL’s abuses which was passed on 1 September 2014.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on ways to tackle Islamic State in Syria.

Tobias Ellwood: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has regular discussions with his international counterparts, including the US, on tackling the extremist threat in Syria. We agree that the war in Syria, and the threat posted by ISIL, can only ultimately be ended through a political agreement and a new transitional Government.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on preventing the spread of Islamic State to Europe.

Tobias Ellwood: On 15 August, the Foreign Secretary met with EU counterparts at the Foreign Affairs Council and on 29 August, the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member of Parliament for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), met with his EU counterparts at Gymnich where the issue of preventing the spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to Europe was raised. On 30 August, the Prime Minister discussed this issue with counterparts in the European Council, which subsequently adopted conclusions which focused on protecting Europe from immediate security threats from ISIL.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being taken by the UK to support resistance to Islamic State militants in Northern Iraq.

Tobias Ellwood: We are providing practical support to the Kurdish Peshmerga as they fight ISIL: gifting them non-lethal military equipment, and transporting ammunition and military equipment to them from other countries. We are also using RAF aircraft to carry out surveillance work. The European Council on 30 August gave its clear endorsement to those European countries supporting the Kurdistan Regional Government with military equipment and supplies. This includes France, Germany and Italy, as well as the UK. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has said, we would consider requests from the Government of Iraq for technical assistance or training support in order to secure stability and security across the country and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of those Iraqis targeted by ISIL terrorists. I travelled to Iraq on 26-27 August where I met President Masud and PM designate Al Abadi, as well as President Barzani of the Kurdish Regional Government. We discussed the UK's ongoing support for efforts to form a new, stable and inclusive government in Baghdad.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consular assistance is available to UK nationals affected by Islamic State in Iraq.

Tobias Ellwood: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides consular advice and assistance to British nationals overseas, including in Iraq. However, as we have made clear in our Travel Advice, the British embassy in Baghdad and the British Consulate-General in Erbil are able to offer limited consular assistance only. British nationals travelling to Iraq should regularly check the Travel Advice for the most up to date country specific information. If a British national is in need of assistance they should contact the British Embassy in Baghdad or British Consulate in Erbil.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what areas of Syria are controlled by Islamic State.

Tobias Ellwood: ISIL currently has military control of large areas of Northern Syria. This includes parts of: northeast Aleppo governorate; Raqqah governorate, Deir az-Zour governorate and Hassakeh governorate. It also controls a number of small villages south of Salamiyeh in Hamah governorate. The situation remains fluid.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what areas of Iraq are controlled by Islamic State.

Tobias Ellwood: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) currently has military control of a number of areas in the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh, Salahaddin and Diyala, including Nineveh’s capital Mosul and the Jurf al-Sukhar area of northern Babil Province. Iraqi and Kurdish security forces, supported by tribal and militia elements, have been making some progress in retaking territory from ISIL. The situation remains fluid.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to protect the (a) Christian and (b) Yazidi population in Northern Iraq from Islamic State militants.

Tobias Ellwood: The Government has provided £23 million in immediate assistance for Iraq to provide clean water and sanitation, essential medicine and funding for NGOs and charities. This has been disbursed based on need, not by religion or ethnicity. However a great deal has gone to Christian and Yazidi communities, including 80 tonnes dropped by the RAF to refugees while trapped on Mount Sinjar. We are also providing military assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting ISIL as set out in the Prime Minister's statement on 1 September so that they can restore control over the areas taken by ISIL. The RAF continue to carry out surveillance flights to provide greater situational awareness. I visited Iraq in late August and pressed the Prime Minister-designate Haider Al-Abadi to ensure his new Government in Iraq would ensure the protection of all minorities, promote human rights and reassert the rule of law.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of Islamic State operating in Lebanon.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent the spread of Islamic State into Lebanon.

Tobias Ellwood: We make regular assessments of the threat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses to Lebanon. Through the UK’s Land Border project, we have supported the Lebanese armed forces reassert state authority in the border regions and minimise violent contagion from Syria. This project has used UK funding to construct 12 protected border observation posts, and provided eight mobile observation platforms, personnel protection equipment, Land Rovers, radios and training. As a result of UK assistance, the Lebanese have an effective presence along 140 km of the north-east border with Syria.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Iraqi counterpart on assisting the Iraqi Government to tackle Islamic State.

Tobias Ellwood: The Prime Minister spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haidar al-Abadi shortly after his appointment to encourage him to build an inclusive Government in Baghdad to tackle the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), and I also met him in Baghdad on 26 August. Our embassy remains in regular contact with Iraqi politicians from across the political spectrum to encourage them to support Mr al-Abadi in forming a new Government.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support efforts to drive militants out from Islamic State-controlled areas of Syria.

Tobias Ellwood: We continue to support the Syrian moderate opposition who have previously shown themselves capable of pushing Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) back, and are at the forefront of the fight against them. The only sustainable solution to the crisis in Syria is through reaching a negotiated political transition by mutual consent, which would enable moderate Syrians to come together to counter ISIL, free from the attacks of the regime. We must stick to this fundamental principle, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. To achieve this we are continuing to put pressure on the Assad regime and its international backers to engage in the political process and we are supporting the moderate opposition who will be a critical component of peace talks. The UK is delivering £30 million of non-lethal support this year to strengthen an inclusive moderate opposition as well as to bolster regional stability.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help reduce the threat of Islamic State in Iraq to security in that region.

Tobias Ellwood: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) pose a threat across the region and it is important that our response reflects that. This will require a tough, intelligent and patient approach, including action at home and abroad. In both Iraq and Syria, we are determined to support non-sectarian moderates who are working for democracy and the rule of law, and resist terrorists, extremists and authoritarian regimes. Our approach to dealing with ISIL will involve ensuring that the UK is protected from immediate security threats, that ISIL is pushed back militarily and that we squeeze ISIL's access to resources, including money, weapons and recruits. We will also work to isolate ISIL politically through finding inclusive political settlements in Iraq and Syria. We are already carrying out surveillance flights in Northern Iraq and have not ruled our further steps.

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help reduce the threat of Islamic State in Syria to security in that region.

Tobias Ellwood: The current security contract which has been in place since February 2010 with G4S in Afghanistan is worth approximately £120 million and is due to end on 30 June 2015. The tender for the next such contract is worth an estimated value of £14-20 million per annum and is likely to reduce over the lifetime of the contract. As this is currently a live tender, we are unable to provide details as to who has expressed interest in this contract, since this information is commercially sensitive.

Islamic State

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the sources of supply to Islamic State (IS) militants of their weapons and training; and if he will make a statement.

Tobias Ellwood: We remain deeply concerned about the ability of terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria to acquire weapons and commit atrocities.
	The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has obtained its weaponry from a variety of sources, including by capturing them from Iraqi and Syrian security forces, and others. Many of ISIL's supply needs are financed by its sale of oil and by money stolen during its advances in recent months.
	We have emphasised the need to intensify efforts to stem the flow of weapons and fighters to extremist groups, including ISIL. Hundreds of foreigners are fighting with ISIL, gaining combat experience and potentially forging connections with other extremists. Since ISIL is a successor to al-Qaeda in Iraq, it also has many members with experience of fighting Coalition forces in Iraq after 2003. As part of its strategy to combat ISIL, the UK led work on UN Security Council Resolution 2170, adopted on 15 August, which condemns ISIL, al-Nusra front (ANF) and other terrorist groups listed under AQ sanctions. The resolution urges members to take measures to choke off recruitment and to target the growing phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and ISIL's sources of finance.

Kidnapping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to provide support to other governments in tackling the threat of kidnapping by terrorist organisations.

Tobias Ellwood: The UK has driven agreement internationally to combat kidnapping by terrorists. Following G8 agreement under the UK presidency in 2013, we have sponsored UN Security Council resolution 2133 and led on EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on kidnap for ransom. These agreements included commitments to co-operate closely during incidents of hostage taking.
	The UK has considerable experience in responding to terrorist kidnaps. We make the benefits of that experience available to other countries in a number of ways, including best practice sharing bilaterally and through fora like the Global Counter Terrorism Forum. We have provided training on kidnap response to affected governments.

Kurds

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Kurdistan Regional Government or its representatives in the UK on the situation in that region.

Tobias Ellwood: The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) have both spoken to Kurdistan Region President Barzani. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) and I visited Erbil on 27 August and met with President Barzani, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Deputy Prime Minister Talabani, and other Ministers. I have also met the KRG’s representative in the UK and officials are in regular contact with the KRG offices in both the UK and Iraq.

Lesotho

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the situation in Lesotho; and what steps he is taking to support the reinstatement of democracy in that country.

James Duddridge: British high commission officials in Pretoria, who cover our relations with Lesotho, continue to closely monitor developments in the country given the deteriorating political and security situation there since 30 August. I welcome the engagement of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and have expressed our hope that all Lesotho’s parties will work together to ensure disputes are settled peacefully in line with Lesotho’s constitution. At my request, our high commissioner reiterated these messages in a phone call to Lesotho’s Prime Minister on 5 September.

LGBT Rights

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in St Lucia; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Kiribati; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in the Seychelles; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in St Vincent and the Grenadines; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Guyana; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Trinidad and Tobago; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in the Cook Islands; and if he will make a statement;
	(10)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Botswana; and if he will make a statement;
	(11)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Malawi; and if he will make a statement;
	(12)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Namibia; and if he will make a statement;
	(13)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in India; and if he will make a statement;
	(14)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in the Maldives; and if he will make a statement;
	(15)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Malaysia; and if he will make a statement;
	(16)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement;
	(17)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Brunei; and if he will make a statement;
	(18)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Antigua and Barbuda; and if he will make a statement;
	(19)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Belize; and if he will make a statement;
	(20)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Dominica; and if he will make a statement;
	(21)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in the Solomon Islands; and if he will make a statement;
	(22)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Tonga; and if he will make a statement;
	(23)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Tuvalu; and if he will make a statement;
	(24)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Cameroon; and if he will make a statement;
	(25)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Ghana; and if he will make a statement;
	(26)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Kenya; and if he will make a statement;
	(27)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Mauritius; and if he will make a statement;
	(28)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Swaziland; and if he will make a statement;
	(29)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Tanzania; and if he will make a statement;
	(30)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Uganda; and if he will make a statement;
	(31)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Zambia; and if he will make a statement;
	(32)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement;
	(33)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Grenada; and if he will make a statement;
	(34)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Jamaica; and if he will make a statement;
	(35)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in St Kitts and Nevis; and if he will make a statement;
	(36)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Singapore; and if he will make a statement;
	(37)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement;
	(38)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Barbados; and if he will make a statement;
	(39)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Nauru; and if he will make a statement;
	(40)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Papua New Guinea; and if he will make a statement;
	(41)  what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights in Samoa; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: Work to combat violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office works through our embassies and high commissions, and through international organisations, including the Commonwealth, the EU and the UN, to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise homosexuality.
	The UK has been a member of the LGBT core group in Geneva since 2011, playing a key role in passing the UN’s first ever resolution on LGBT rights and recently joined its counterpart group in New York.
	Within the Commonwealth we continue to encourage the Secretariat and the Secretary-General to do more to promote the rights of its LGBT people. The former Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary-General in March urging him to take concrete action to address this issue within the Commonwealth.

Libya

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to secure the stockpiles of weaponry in Libya which are left over from the 2011 revolution, including surface-to-air rocket launchers; and if he will make a statement.

Tobias Ellwood: The vast unsecured stockpiles of Qadhafi-era weapons and ammunition are a threat to the political transition in Libya, endangering its stability and security, as well as that of the region.
	The British Government has been working closely with international partners, including the UN, to help the Libyan authorities secure and dismantle the weapons stockpiles. We have committed £9 million of our £62.5 million Security, Justice and Defence Programme, plus a further £1 million contribution to the UN Mine Action Service Trust Fund, to fund projects in this area. We have also funded a Senior Disarmament Adviser to work with the Libyan Ministry of Defence on disarmament issues. However, following our embassy's withdrawal from Tripoli on 5 August, this work has been temporarily suspended. We hope to be able to return to Libya at the earliest opportunity to continue this important work.

Maldives

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in the Maldives; and if he will make representations to the government of that country on the kidnap of the journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

Hugo Swire: We continue to be concerned about human rights in the Maldives, not least on freedom of religion, rule of law and women's rights. We are also concerned by reports that parliamentarians, human rights advocates and journalists have recently been the target of death threats, and by the disappearance and apparent abduction of one journalist on 8 August following death threats.
	Officials at our high commission in Colombo, which is also accredited to the Maldives, have raised concerns on human rights, as well as the recent threats and this reported disappearance, with the Maldives Government. We have also urged them to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted as appropriate. The Maldives Government has expressed deep concern following the disappearance, and noted that they are committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Maldivians.

Middle East

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the use of components for Paveway II bombs manufactured by Raytheon in Scotland by Israeli military forces during Operation Protective Edge.

Tobias Ellwood: The Government takes seriously any reports that British components may have been used by Israeli forces during Operation Protective Edge. However, neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor our embassy in Tel Aviv have received any reports on the use of components for Paveway II bombs being used by the Israeli military forces during the recent fighting.

Middle East

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of whether recent Israeli military operations in Gaza are in breach of international law.

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 July 2014, Official Report, column 1050W, on the Middle East, when his Department will conduct a full assessment of whether Israeli military action during Operation Protective Edge has complied with its international legal obligations.

Tobias Ellwood: We are clear that there must be meaningful investigations into possible violations of international humanitarian law by all sides, including those abuses committed by Hamas and other militant groups. We call on all parties to co-operate with the UN Commission of Inquiry, which must be balanced and impartial.

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what meetings he or Ministers in his Department have had with civil society or religious groups based in the UK to discuss the situation in Israel and Palestine since the start of July 2014; and which such groups have met on what dates;
	(2)  what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with civil society or religious groups based in the UK which have discussed the situation in Israel and Palestine since 1 July 2014; which organisations attended each such meeting; and when each such meeting took place.

Tobias Ellwood: Since the start of July, I have held two meetings with civil society/religious groups based in the UK to discuss the situation in Israel and Palestine.
	On 5 August, I held a meeting with a delegation from the British Arab Association. Representatives from the British Arab Association, Syrian Association, Sudanese Association, Young Arab Professionals, Arab Women Association, Yemeni Association, Palestinian Return Centre and the Palestinian Forum in Britain attended.
	The other meeting was also held on 5 August with non-governmental organisations. Representatives from Amnesty International, Oxfam, Save the Children, Christian Aid, Action Aid, Welfare Association, Quakers, Medical Aid for Palestinians, British Red Cross, Catholic Aid Agency for England and Wales (CAFOD), Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) and Friends of Birzeit university attended. This was a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Department for International Development (DFID) meeting with myself and the Minister of State, Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Mr Swayne).

Middle East

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UN is taking to highlight the ongoing persecution of Christian communities in the Middle East and assist those so persecuted.

Tobias Ellwood: The UK has been at the forefront of international activity calling for the right to freedom of religion or belief to be protected, including through the UN, seeking to ensure that all tools at the UN’s disposal (in particular, the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief) are brought to bear.
	In Iraq, the Government believes the international community must condemn, in the strongest possible way, abuses and crimes committed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and associated groups. During the UK’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council in August, the Council condemned the systematic persecution of individuals from minority populations, including Christians, and those who refuse the extremist ideology of ISIL and associated armed groups. The Council also recalled that widespread or systematic attacks directed against any civilian populations because of their ethnic background, religion or belief may constitute a crime against humanity, for which those responsible must be held accountable.
	As a member of the Human Rights Council, the UK has given strong support to mandates (such as the Commission of Inquiry on Syria—sustained by a resolution on which the UK is chief sponsor) that monitor and report on the plight of people who have suffered violations or abuses because of their religious identity. Twice every year the EU sponsors a resolution at the UN on Freedom of Religion or Belief. This provides an opportunity to highlight specific developments. During a special session of the UNHRC on 1 September 2014, the UK requested a UN investigation into ISIL abuses, which would include those directed at Christians, as well as Yazidis and other religious and ethnic minorities.
	Through a UK co-sponsored resolution the UN is calling on Iraq to protect members of religious and ethnic minorities, women and children, and members of groups in vulnerable situations, and to provide support to them. Barbaric acts by ISIL such as targeted killings, forced conversions, abductions, trafficking, slavery and sexual abuse carried out on the basis of ethnic, religious or sectarian discrimination will be confronted at the forthcoming UN General Assembly and UN Security Council meetings.

Nigeria

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to secure the release of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in April 2014.

Hugo Swire: The UK remains committed to the search for the Chibok girls that are still missing, and to preventing such acts in the future. The Prime Minister announced on 14 May that the UK would provide surveillance assets and intelligence expertise to help in the search for the missing girls. The UK is committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours tackle the wider threat from Boko Haram. On 12 June we hosted a ministerial meeting for Nigeria, its neighbours and international partners in London which agreed measures to strengthen regional cooperation against Boko Haram. These measures included establishing a regional intelligence fusion cell and coordinated border patrols. The UK also approved bilateral support including military and intelligence cooperation. On 3 September I visited Nigeria, where I met both President Jonathan and Foreign Minister Wali. In those meetings I expressed the UK's deep sympathy for the plight of the school girls and discussed further measures for securing their release. The UK will continue to work closely with Nigeria and the international community to tackle the threat posed by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram.

Nigeria

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the declaration of a caliphate in areas of Nigeria.

Hugo Swire: Boko Haram’s claim to have established a caliphate in north eastern Nigeria does not have any credibility outside this group of terrorists. Boko Haram does not command widespread popular support. They continue to deliberately target the weak and vulnerable, causing suffering in communities of different faiths and ethnicities.

Nigeria

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals in Nigeria.

James Duddridge: Consular section at our High Commission in Lagos estimate that there are approximately 20,000 British nationals living or working in Nigeria.
	Nigerian immigration records at April this year indicate that 30,555 British nationals visited Nigeria between January and December 2013 (our Travel Advice states that on average 117,000 British nationals visit Nigeria each year). However it is important to note that many dual nationals (British/Nigerian nationals) may enter Nigeria using their Nigerian passport).
	Consular section Lagos states that large numbers of British nationals are based in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Delta and Akwa Ibom States and Abuja.

North Africa

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential threat of Boko Haram spreading across Northern Africa;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of countries in Northern Africa in which Boko Haram has a foothold; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge: Boko Haram concentrates its attacks in northern Nigeria but is regularly reported to operate in neighbouring countries, particularly Cameroon, Chad and Niger. It has reportedly conducted attacks and kidnappings in these countries. We have no evidence that Boko Haram is currently operating in North Africa.
	The UK is committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours tackle the threat from Boko Haram. On 12 June we hosted a ministerial meeting for Nigeria, its neighbours and international partners in London which agreed measures to strengthen regional co-operation against Boko Haram. These measures included establishing a regional intelligence fusion cell and co-ordinated border patrols. The UK also approved bilateral support including military and intelligence co-operation. On 3 September I visited Nigeria, where I met both President Jonathan and Foreign Minister Wali. In those meetings I expressed the UK's deep sympathy for the plight of the school girls and discussed further measures for securing their release. The UK will continue to work closely with. Nigeria and the international community to tackle the threat posed by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram.

Nuclear Weapons

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether anyone from his Department will attend the third international Conference on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna in December; and what discussions he has had with international counterparts about that conference.

Tobias Ellwood: I refer to the answer given on 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 675W. We await details of the conference agenda and objectives. I have not discussed the conference with my international counterparts.

Pakistan

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the political activities of MQM in Pakistan.

Tobias Ellwood: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is a political party in Pakistan with representation in the National Assembly (24 seats) and is in coalition in the provincial government of Sindh province. Conduct of political parties in Pakistan is a matter for the Pakistan authorities, but in our engagement, we encourage all political parties to act within the constitution and law of Pakistan.

Piracy

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the threat to the safety of British seafarers and others from piracy (a) in the Gulf of Guinea and (b) elsewhere; and what his strategy is for reducing that threat.

Tobias Ellwood: We take the threat to British seafarers seriously and keep the situation under review. The National Strategy for Maritime Security provides the strategic context for the UK’s work on maritime security. Piracy is one symptom of wider maritime insecurity and governance challenges that the UK is working to address.
	Our assessment for the Gulf of Guinea is that the overall number of reported incidents of maritime crime has remained stable over the last ten years. However, 2013 saw an increase in the number of maritime kidnappings reported. Through the industry–led and UK-supported, Maritime Trade and Information Sharing Centre—Gulf of Guinea, based in Ghana, we are hoping to better understand the scale of the threat. The UK also works with international partners to support the regionally-owned 2013 Yaoundé Code of Conduct.
	There are also piracy threats in the major maritime trade areas of the Horn of Africa and South East Asia. The piracy threat from Somalia has been suppressed although pirates retain the capacity to launch attacks. There remains a risk of resurgence if international efforts are stopped prematurely. We are committed to playing a leading role in the international naval operations still on-going in the region including through leading roles in EU and NATO naval forces. The UK also provides staff to EUCAP NESTOR, the EU-led regional maritime capacity building mission, and co-chairs the working group on capacity building of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. In South East Asia, the UK is a member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP). This group seeks to share information and enhance cooperation to combat the threat.
	In addition to Government activity, the shipping industry routinely conducts threat assessments of areas in which they are operating. Shipping companies are able to undertake assessments based on information such as insurance company threat ratings and the Department for Transport counter-piracy advice.
	The details of the challenges each region faces may be different, but the overriding requirement is to assist with the development of indigenous capability to provide a lasting solution.

Qatar

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he met the Secretary-General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy; and what plans he has for future meetings with that official.

Tobias Ellwood: My predecessor, the right hon. Sir Hugh Robertson KCMG MP, called on the Secretary-General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, Hassan Al Thawadi, during his visit to Doha in January 2014. He subsequently met Mr Al Thawadi during the Supreme Committee’s visit to the UK in February. I hope to visit Doha in the near future.

Saudi Arabia

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Saudi government about the funding of ISIS by Saudi citizens since 2012.

Tobias Ellwood: We maintain a close dialogue on a broad range of counter terrorism issues with Saudi Arabia, including terrorist financing. The Saudi government is acutely aware of the threat from terrorist groups such as ISIL to their own and global security and they have been at the forefront of efforts to combat the threat facing us all. Saudi Arabia has a comprehensive set of laws in place to prevent terrorist financing, which they vigorously enforce.

Saudi Arabia

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK's security of the Saudi government's promotion of intolerant religious teachings internationally.

Tobias Ellwood: We enjoy close co-operation with Saudi Arabia in countering the shared terrorist threat against both our countries. The Saudi Arabian government has condemned acts of terrorism and extremism around the world. In his Eid speech to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, King Abdullah was unequivocal in his language warning of the threat of extremism and sectarianism. The Saudi Arabian Government operates one of the most advanced de-radicalisation programmes anywhere and is working to reduce the threat that religious extremists pose including through the establishment of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, opened in 2012 to enable, empower and encourage dialogue among followers of different religions and cultures around the world. We hope it will deliver practical initiatives to further that aim.

Saudi Arabia

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the alleged torture of Waleed Abu al-Khair while imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.

Tobias Ellwood: We are aware of the allegations of torture of Waleed Abu al-Khair from media reporting of the allegations made by Samar Badawi, Waleed Abu al-Khair’s wife. We are concerned about the sentencing of Waleed Abu al-Khair and the British embassy has supported the efforts of international partners in his case. We will continue to follow his case closely. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Saudi authorities and the UK condemns all forms of torture and ill treatment wherever they occur.

Saudi Arabia

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Saudi counterpart on the imprisonment of Waleed Abu al-Khair.

Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned about the sentencing of Waleed Abu al-Khair and the British embassy has supported the efforts of international partners in his case. We will continue to follow his case closely. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Saudi authorities and the UK condemns all forms of torture and ill treatment wherever they occur.

Saudi Arabia

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Saudi Arabia on each of the executions by public beheading carried out in that country in August 2014.

Tobias Ellwood: The abolition of the death penalty is a human rights priority for the UK. Ministers and our ambassador and embassy team in Riyadh frequently raise the issue of the death penalty with the Saudi Arabian authorities, bilaterally and through the European Union. We must recognise that total abolition of the death penalty is unlikely in Saudi Arabia in the near future. For now, our focus is on the introduction of EU minimum standards for the death penalty as a first step, and supporting access to justice and the rule of law.

Syria

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether chemical weapons have been used by the Syrian Government since August 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Tobias Ellwood: There is credible evidence of repeated chemical weapon attacks perpetrated by the Syrian regime since August 2013. The UK was among the first countries to call for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate these allegations. The OPCW Fact Finding Mission was subsequently established in April 2014 and its work is ongoing. Despite the difficulty of investigating these allegations in a conflict environment, the Mission’s May 2014 interim report stated that the available information
	“lends credence to the view that toxic chemicals, most likely pulmonary irritating agents such as chlorine, have been used in a systematic manner in a number of attacks”.
	The August 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry report further stated that
	“Reasonable grounds exist to believe that chemical agents, likely chlorine, were used...[and that]... those agents were dropped in barrel bombs from government helicopters flying overhead”.
	Any use of chemical agents in warfare contravenes the chemical weapon convention, to which Syria acceded in September 2013. We will press for all those who use chemical weapons to be held to account for these war crimes.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of each type of small arms in use by UK armed forces in Afghanistan were lost or otherwise unaccounted for in each year since the deployment of UK forces.

Philip Dunne: The table provides information on the number of pistols and rifles reported by the Royal Navy and British Army as lost in Afghanistan between 1 January 2002, when records began, and 30 June 2014. The Ministry of Defence does not centrally hold information on the number of pistols and rifles reported as lost in Afghanistan by the Royal Air Force. The table does not include personal weapons which have been written off, for example as a result of battlefield damage.
	
		
			 Number 
			  Pistols reported as lost Rifles reported as lost 
			 2002 0 0 
			 2003 0 4 
			 2004 1 0 
			 2005 0 1 
			 2006 3 7 
			 2007 13 4 
			 2008 6 1 
			 2009 0 1 
			 2010 4 4 
			 2011 2 2 
			 2012 4 1 
			 2013 0 1 
			 2014 (to 30 June) 0 1

Armed Forces: Food

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration she has given to the effects of pay-as-you-dine on levels of (a) hunger, (b) obesity and (c) malnutrition.

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) introduced Pay As You Dine (PAYD) in 2005 following extensive trials at Service establishments. Prior to the implementation of PAYD a standard charge for meals in the mess was made each month. PAYD is simply a mechanism whereby Service personnel pay only for those meals that they wish to consume.
	PAYD gives personnel a choice and with that comes responsibility. The MOD encourages individuals to make healthy choices, although ultimately it is the responsibility of individuals to maintain a balanced diet.
	There are no data to assess the impact of PAYD on levels of hunger, obesity or malnutrition. However, we ensure the health and wellbeing of Service personnel in three ways:
	MOD policy in respect of Defence Catering has been formulated with subject matter experts and conforms to UK legislation. Nutrition and healthy eating is part of this policy;
	Providers of the catering service are required to comply with all current legislation, including the Government Buying Standards. This requires them to provide a core meal at each meal service throughout the day (e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner). These core meals provide access to a nutritionally balanced meal with, for example, vegetables and carbohydrates being offered on a self-service basis. Service providers actively promote healthy eating as part of the choices they provide and are encouraged to provide point of choices nutritional labelling; and
	Service personnel are educated on the importance of a healthy diet. All recruits receive a lecture on nutrition and healthy eating during their basic training to emphasise the importance of maintaining operational effectiveness and fitness. It remains the responsibility of the individual to maintain the requisite level of fitness and effectiveness overseen by a duty of care from the chain of command.

Armed Forces: Housing

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many service people were in receipt of housing benefit (a) in 2009 and (b) at the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many he would expect to claim housing benefit if married quarters rents are raised to market levels;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to the affordability of rents for junior ranks of service personnel if they are to be increased to market levels;
	(3)  what consideration he has given to geographical variations in rent if married quarters rentals for service personnel are to be increased to market levels;
	(4)  if he will make a statement about his plans to increase married quarters rents to market levels.

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence has no plans to charge market rates for Service Personnel accommodation or to introduce geographical variations. Charges will continue to be subject to the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB). The AFPRB’s approach is to recommend charges that are linked to the costs faced by civilians, but with a significant subsidy to recognise the drawbacks of living in Service accommodation.
	Under this approach, personnel in Service accommodation will continue to pay a significantly smaller percentage of their earnings on accommodation charges than would be likely in the private sector. Any claims for benefits are a private matter for the individual and therefore the Department does not hold any data.

Armed Forces: Training

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2014, Official Report, column 722W, on the armed forces: training, how many personnel have passed (a) CYBP (b) CYIP and (c) CYAP courses in each year of those courses operating.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 September 2014
	Specific details of the numbers undertaking the Cyber Practitioner courses are being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Army Reserve

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many members the Regular Army Reserve of Officers has;
	(2)  whether the Regular Army Reserve of Officers will play any role in his plans for an expanded Territorial Army; and if he will make a statement.

Julian Brazier: The Regular Army Reserve of Officers allows the Army to recall individuals who have previously served in the Army to assist in the nation’s defence and provide a national strategic reserve capability. Under Army 2020 the Regular Army Reserve of Officers will, as now, provide a valuable pool of skills and expertise that can be called upon as and when a situation of national crisis demands it. There are no plans to change the role of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers as part of the plans to increase the size of the Army Reserve to 30,000 as the two are constituted for different roles and capabilities.

C17 Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weight of goods has been air-dropped by C-17 aircraft during (a) exercises and (b) operations in each location since those aircraft entered service.

Mark Francois: None.

European Fighter Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on development of the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Captor-E radar; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 17 July 2014, Official Report, column 797W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson), and 1 September 2014, Official Report, column 95W, to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Kevan Jones).

European Fighter Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of integrating MBDA Brimstone 2 air-to-ground precision weapon with the Typhoon aircraft to the UK's defence capabilities;
	(2)  what progress his Department has made on work to integrate the MBDA Brimstone 2 air-to-ground precision weapon with the Typhoon aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The MBDA Brimstone 2 will enhance the multi-role capability of the Typhoon aircraft as it is effective against challenging, high speed and manoeuvring targets over land and sea.
	Work is under way to evaluate the integration of Brimstone 2 with the Typhoon aircraft. On 2 June 2014, BAE Systems was awarded a contract worth in the region of £5 million to undertake a risk reduction study in support of a planned Main Gate business decision in early 2015.

Guided Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to use the IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile in the UK's armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence currently has no plans to use the IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile.

Guided Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on development of the Storm Shadow stand-off weapon; what assessment he has made of its potential advantages to the UK's defence capabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: Storm Shadow continues to provide the UK with a unique capability for precision strike against high value hardened targets without exposing aircraft and crews to higher than necessary levels of risk.
	The Storm Shadow Mid Life Refurbishment concept phase is considering options to maintain the Storm Shadow Weapons System Capability in order to meet our planning requirements. We have agreed to exchange information with France on our respective national refurbishment and upgrade programmes for Storm Shadow/SCALP EG (the French name for Storm Shadow), underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed at the Farnborough International Air Show in July 2014.
	I announced in July that the Storm Shadow is to be integrated into the RAF's Typhoon aircraft to enter service in 2018.

Military Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current fast jet capability of the Royal Air Force and outline any future developments.

Mark Francois: RAF frontline fast jet capability is currently provided by Tornado and Typhoon aircraft supported by Hawk jet training aircraft.
	However, the RAF continues to transition towards a future combined frontline fleet of Lightning II and Typhoon aircraft. Lightning II is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft representing a step-change in the UK’s combat air capability, while the Typhoon will provide an enhanced multi-role and Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability, in addition to its original air defence role.

Military Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made on development of the F-35 B aircraft.

Philip Dunne: The F-35B development test continues to make steady progress. To date, the F-35 fleet has surpassed 19,500 flight hours.
	UK F-35B Initial Operating Capability remains on track to deliver in 2018.

Nuclear Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many nuclear warheads have been (a) lost and (b) lost and not recovered by NATO in the last 30 years;
	(2)  if he will provide details of each accident involving a nuclear weapon deployed outside of the US in support of NATO in the last 30 years.

Julian Brazier: The UK does not hold such information as it pertains to the Alliance as a whole.

Patrol Craft

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on construction of the three offshore patrol vessels to be built for the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: In March 2014, the Ministry of Defence placed a £20 million contract with BAE Systems for long-lead items, such as engines and gearboxes, for three Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal Navy. In August 2014, we placed a contract worth £348 million with the company for the build of these vessels. Construction work is due to begin later in 2014, with the first vessel due to enter service in 2017.

Reserve Forces

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were recruited to the Reserve forces in the last 12 months; how this figure compares to his Department's target figures; and if he will make a statement.

Julian Brazier: The UK Armed Forces Quarterly Personnel report, which is published by Defence Statistics, shows Reserve trained and untrained strength figures, as well as movements into the Future Reserves 2020 population. It is available on the www.gov.uk website at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-armed-forces-quarterly-personnel-report-2014
	The trained strength of the Future Reserves 2020 population as at 1 April 2014 exceeded the target figures set out in the written ministerial statement and paper that the former Defence Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) placed in the Library of the House on 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 124WS, shown as follows:
	
		
			  1 April 2014 Target 1 April 2014 Actual 
			 Total 21,780 22,480 
			 Maritime Reserve 1,780 1,870 
			 Army Reserve 18,800 19,400 
			 RAuxiliaryAF 1,200 1,220 
		
	
	We are committed to achieving our target of 35,000 trained Reserves by the end of 2018-19.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with small and medium-sized enterprises on the planned changes to the funding of the apprenticeship scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Boles: holding answer 5 September 2014
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has had regular discussions with employers of all sizes and with the Federation of Small Businesses about the apprenticeship reform programme.

Apprentices

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications are made on average before (a) a white and (b) an ethnic minority applicant secures an apprenticeship.

Nicholas Boles: holding answer 5 September 2014
	Information on the number of Apprenticeship applications made through the Apprenticeship vacancy online system is published online. The tables include a breakdown by ethnicity:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/340846/ApprenticeshipVacancyReport NumberofapplicationsbyAgeGenderEthnicityorSSA orProgrammeLevelAug14.xls
	We do not collect robust information on the average number of applications made before an applicant secures an Apprenticeship.
	Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts by ethnicity is also available online:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324021/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

Apprentices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish all the responses received to the Future of Apprenticeships in England: Funding Reform Technical Consultation, published in March 2014.

Nicholas Boles: We intend to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation in the autumn.

Disabled Students' Allowances

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made in carrying out an equality analysis on proposals to change the disabled students' allowance.

Greg Clark: The Equality Analysis is currently being updated in light of information and evidence provided by stakeholders and will be published alongside the regulations when they are laid.

Domestic Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 688W, on official visits, what domestic visits he has made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

Jo Swinson: As noted in my predecessor's answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 688W, information relating to domestic visits can be provided only at disproportionate cost as it is not held centrally.

Electronic Government

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's priorities are in relation to the Digital Government Strategy in the individual performance objectives for 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to the Digital Government Strategy and delivering the 16 action points within it. Those taking forward the Digital agenda in the Department and its partner organisations have individual performance objectives for 2014-15 reflecting this.

Exports: Advisory Services

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Overseas Business Risk service is better shared with and promoted to businesses looking to export.

Matthew Hancock: The Overseas Business Risk (OBR) service is promoted as part of UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) overall offer to UK businesses looking to develop their exports. This is done through UKTI’s network which includes International Trade Advisers, Sectoral and Overseas teams. Promotion material, such as UKTI’s First Class Export Pack, also aims to ensure UK business is aware of the service alongside outreach events and the use of social media. The OBR country pages on the GOV.UK domain are refreshed on a regular basis to provide up-to-date intelligence to UK business. A Joint Advisory Group, with very senior business representation, contributes to the development and promotion of this service.

Jackson Square Aviation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when conducting due diligence on Jackson Square Aviation and JSA International Holdings LP, whether UK Export Finance was aware that their base at Walker House is also the base of Iranian banks on the UK's blacklists.

Matthew Hancock: When asked to support an export transaction, UK Export Finance conducts due diligence on the companies involved in that transaction. It does not research other unrelated companies, for example using the same registered address of convenience, which have no connection with the transaction in question.

Music: Licensing

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent assessment is of the impact on small businesses of the licensing enforcement regime for the use of music in public spaces.

Nicholas Boles: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not assessed the impact on small businesses of the licensing enforcement regime for the use of music in public spaces. This regime is not run or approved by government.
	The collecting societies 'PRS for Music' and 'Phonographic Performance Limited' (PPL), which represent copyright owners in the music sector, enforce their licensing requirements themselves. Since April 2014, their conduct towards licensees and potential licensees has been governed by minimum standards that can be enforced by Government through the Copyright (Regulation of Relevant Licensing Bodies) Regulations 2014.

National Nuclear Laboratory

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support the National Nuclear Laboratory’s commercial opportunities abroad.

Matthew Hancock: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has a close relationship with NNL who are integral partners in the development and implementation of a UK Civil Nuclear Export strategy, being taken forward under the Nuclear Industrial Strategy, to target the most promising overseas opportunities for the UK nuclear industry. NNL also regularly support and participate in UKTI’s related programme of civil nuclear focused inward and outward trade missions. This partnership has contributed to NNL success abroad.
	Longer-term commercial opportunities can stem from international collaboration on R and D. For example, NNL is involved in the Nugenia project which includes R and D on new and innovative designs in nuclear fission. They are also leading UK participation in the Jules Horowitz Reactor project in France on behalf of the Government, and have engaged with USA Government on a number of issues, such as advanced recycle R and D and radioisotope thermoelectric generations for space batteries.

Nuclear Power: Skilled Workers

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent on developing skills through training programmes and apprenticeships in the nuclear industry in each region of the UK in each of the last five years.

Nicholas Boles: The funding available for adult skills is outlined in the Skills Funding Statement. The statement sets out the Government’s priorities for the budget and it is for providers to decide how they use their adult skills funding to reflect those priorities and meet the needs of learners and employers in their local area.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-funding-statement-2013-to-2016
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-funding-statement-2012-2015
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-investment-statement-for-2011-to-2014-new-challenges-new-chances

Nuclear Power: Trade Promotion

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial support is available from UK Trade & Investment to British companies under the Tradeshow Access Programme to attend the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris from 14-16 October 2014; and what criteria are applied in deciding what support to provide.

Matthew Hancock: Through the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) 7 grants of £1,500 each are being made available for eligible UK businesses at the World Nuclear Exhibition.
	A company can be eligible if they:
	are classed as small or medium-sized or a UK university or UK publicly funded centre of higher or further learning or UK publicly funded research organisation;
	have been exporting for less than 10 years or did not exhibit at the previous edition of the event in question; and
	do not breach a limit of 12 TAP grants since 1 April 2009 including no more than 6 in non-emerging and high growth markets.

Patents: Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many patents have been granted to businesses or individuals whose main residence or business address was in Northern Ireland in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.

Nicholas Boles: Patents are granted by different national and regional authorities worldwide, for which accurate information is only held by each individual authority. Patents having effect in the United Kingdom can be granted by the Intellectual Property Office (UK national patents) or the European Patent Office (European patents designating the United Kingdom). The following table summarises the number of patents granted with effect in the UK to businesses or individuals whose main residence or business address was in Northern Ireland in 2012 and 2013.
	
		
			 Calendar year Granted UK national patents Granted European (UK) patents Total granted patents with UK effect 
			 2012 23 23 46 
			 2013 18 39 57 
			 Source: IPO patents register and EPO PATSTAT database (April 2014).

Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) direct employees, (b) outsourced workers and (c) agency workers in executive agencies which report to his Department are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Jo Swinson: I have approached the Chief Executives of the Department’s Executive Agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the right hon. Member directly. Copies will be placed in the Library.
	We fully support those that choose to pay above the NMW when it is affordable to do so and not at the expense of jobs. In terms of affordability in the public sector, there are important considerations about the impact on public service delivery, which is why it is important that decisions on pay are made by individual departments.
	On the basis of fairness and affordability the Secretary of State instructed the department to give the lowest paid contracted staff (including cleaners) an above inflation pay rise. From 1 April, the lowest paid contracted staff at BIS offices across the UK will be paid £7.85 per hour, up £1.40 or nearly 22% from the previous £6.45 per hour rate. This increase has restored and surpassed the real value of wages that had fallen in recent years. This also means that BIS contractors will be among the top 25% (upper quartile) of contractors across Whitehall and will benefit 252 employees across 81 sites in the UK.

Prosthetics: Competition

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the competitiveness of the prosthesis manufacturing industry.

Matthew Hancock: The Government has not made a specific assessment of the competitiveness of the prosthesis manufacturing industry. However, prosthetics form a key part of the wider medical technology sector, and work is under way with the main medical technology trade associations (including the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA)), under the aegis of the Ministerial Medical Technology Strategy Group to identify and address the competitiveness challenges across the sector and its supply-chains.

Spaceflight

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to encourage the growth of a space tourism industry in the UK.

Greg Clark: The Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr Goodwill) announced at the Farnborough International Air show in July 2014 the Government's commitment to establish a spaceport in the UK by 2018. The Government is working to ensure that sub-orbital space participant and science flights are operated from this space port.

Students: Loans

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what effect the introduction of 24 Plus Advanced Learning Loans has had on student participation levels.

Nicholas Boles: holding answer 5 September 2014
	When Advanced Learning Loans were introduced, the Department carried out a thorough Regulatory Impact Assessment, and used survey data to understand the likely change in participation as a result of loans. This is published at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32315/12-873-further-education-advanced-learning-loans-regulatory-impact.pdf
	Information available for 2013/14 is provisional and as such does not allow us to show changes to the level of participation in further education with certainty. But the introduction of 24+ Loans appears to have been successful for those studying at Level 3 and 4. Latest data available showed that the total number of applications received, from 8 April 2013 to 31 July 2014, to fund provision in the 2013/14 academic year was 70,940.

Sugar: EU External Trade

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on (a) improving access to the EU sugar market for cane sugar suppliers and (b) removal of the CXL sugar import duty.

Matthew Hancock: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has had no recent discussions directly concerning the removal of the CXL sugar import duty, or on improving access to the EU sugar market for cane sugar suppliers. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is involved in ongoing trade negotiations between the EU and various trading partners which aim to increase trade of goods, and this includes sugar cane imports.

Tax Avoidance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether UK Export Finance (UKEF) has taken steps to ensure that companies operating from the UK which gain support from UKEF support pay do not use artificial tax structures to avoid paying their fair share in the UK.

Matthew Hancock: UK Export Finance’s statutory function is to support UK exports, principally by providing guarantees to banks in relation to UK exports, and insurance policies to exporters against the financial risk of exporting. It has no powers to investigate the tax affairs of the exporters it supports and no regulatory remit. However, it undertakes due diligence in respect of the financial and legal risks associated with all the export transactions it is asked to support.

Trade Agreements

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons the UK decided to take part in the negotiations relating to the Trade in Services Agreement.

Matthew Hancock: The UK Government recognises the importance of trade to delivering long-term growth and jobs. The Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is the first negotiation to focus solely on trade in services, an area of key UK competitive advantage. As the second largest exporter of services, with 6.5% of global trade, the UK is a strong supporter of the TiSA. Independent analysis shows that an ambitious agreement could add as much as £2 billion to £3 billion annually to the UK economy in the long term.

Trade Agreements

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons the text of the proposed Trade in Services Agreement treaty has not been made public.

Matthew Hancock: Information on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) can be found on the European Commission’s dedicated TiSA website at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/tisa/
	In a bid to encourage transparency, the EU has published its initial TiSA offer from November 2013, the EU proposal for core text provisions based on the World Trade Organisation’s general agreement on trade in services (GATS) and the EU proposal on financial services.
	While the Commission are committed to publishing as much information as possible on the TiSA, for trade negotiations to work and succeed, it is necessary that there is a degree of confidentiality surrounding the negotiating texts to ensure that the best deals are obtained.

Trade Agreements

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on whether the proposed Trade in Services Agreement treaty is likely to contain provisions to allow or promote the increased privatisation of public services.

Matthew Hancock: The European Commission has made it clear that safeguards are in place in all EU-wide trade agreements to ensure that member state governments remain free to manage public services as they wish.
	http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1115

Trade Agreements

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on whether the proposed Trade in Services Agreement treaty is likely to contain provisions that would deny governments the right to require that data is held onshore.

Matthew Hancock: As with other trade agreements currently in place, such as the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services, we expect agreements under negotiation, such as the Trade in Services Agreement, to contain provisions regarding data transfer and provisions regarding data protection. As with other agreements, we will want to see these provisions provide robust safeguards for the protection of EU citizens’ data while at the same time allowing for legitimate data transfers to third countries.

Trade Agreements

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on whether the proposed Trade in Services Agreement treaty is likely to contain provisions to prevent the regulation of new insurance products.

Matthew Hancock: The UK Government is a strong supporter of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), which provides an opportunity to address barriers to trade in services through seeking to deepen services trade rules and regulatory disciplines and to address market access objectives. There is no intention to prevent the regulation of new insurance products, nor would the UK endorse such a move. Furthermore, the prudential carve-out element of the TiSA agreement will fully protect the ability of UK and international financial regulators to regulate and take any prudential actions for the sake of financial stability or to protect investors, depositors, policy holders or persons to whom a fiduciary duty is owed by a financial service supplier.

Trade Agreements

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of UK participation in a Trade in Services Agreement treaty on the Government's ability to regulate the financial services sector.

Matthew Hancock: The UK Government is a strong supporter of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), which provides an opportunity to address barriers to trade in services through seeking to deepen services trade rules and regulatory disciplines and to address market access objectives. Given the crucial role of financial stability to overall economic stability, governments and regulators need to have the ability to closely monitor and regulate banks, insurance companies and other financial services providers. The TiSA text will contain a prudential carve-out which will fully protect the ability of UK and international financial regulators to regulate and take any prudential actions for the sake of financial stability or to protect investors, depositors, policy holders or persons to whom a fiduciary duty is owed by a financial service supplier.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Iraq

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much humanitarian aid the UK is offering to support victims of Islamic State in Northern Iraq.

Justine Greening: DFID is leading the UK’s humanitarian response and is getting life-saving aid to people across Northern and Central Iraq who have fled ISIL terrorists. In addition to the £13 million already pledged, I announced a further £10 million of support during my recent visit to Iraq. Over £18 million of this is specifically focused on helping those in Northern Iraq.

Overseas Aid

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the GDP is of each of the 10 countries receiving the most aid from the UK; and what the average GDP value is of all other aid recipients.

Desmond Swayne: The GDP of each of the 10 countries receiving the most bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the UK in 2012 and the average GDP value of all other aid recipients are shown in the table. GDP is presented both in absolute terms and per capita. GDP per capita is more widely used since it takes into account the population of each country, giving a more meaningful measure.
	
		
			 Country GDP per capita (£) GDP (£ million) 
			 India 949 1,173,054 
			 Afghanistan 434 12,942 
			 Ethiopia 295 27,014 
			 Nigeria 1,718 290,064 
			 Bangladesh 473 73,229 
			 Pakistan 792 141,922 
			 Tanzania 384 17,828 
			 Congo, Dem. Rep. 264 17,325 
			 Zimbabwe 574 7,871 
			 Malawi 168 2,676 
		
	
	It is not possible to give an average for other countries as GDP data for 2012 is not available for all countries.

West Africa

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent support she has provided to countries in West Africa to help them with the recent ebola outbreak.

Lynne Featherstone: The current outbreak of Ebola poses a serious public health risk to West Africa and is deeply concerning. The UK is taking a leading role in working with the countries affected and with the international community to ensure that the outbreak is contained and help reaches those in need. In total, over £25 million of British funding is supporting the global effort to contain this disease. This includes £5 million of new direct funding to help partners working on the ground like the WHO, Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières? to treat victims and prevent the spread of Ebola. Over £20 million of UK support is helping contain Ebola through commitments to multilateral institutions (the World Bank and the African Development Bank) and the EU.

West Africa

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to provide further support to West African countries to deal with the ebola outbreak.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is taking a leading role in working with the countries affected and with the international community to ensure that the current Ebola outbreak is contained and help reaches those in need. In total, over £25 million of British funding is supporting the global effort to contain this disease. This includes £5 million of new direct funding to help partners working on the ground like the WHO, Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières? to treat victims and prevent the spread of Ebola. The UK is working with partners to explore options for further support.

West Africa

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the briefing given by Médecins Sans Frontières at the UN on 2 September 2014.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK welcomes the call to action from Médecins sans Frontières (MSF). The UK is taking a leading role in responding to the Ebola outbreak and is working with other donors, the Governments of affected countries, and partners on the ground to coordinate a more effective response to the crisis. UK officials are in regular contact with MSF to discuss improving the response to the outbreak. To date, over £25 million of British funding is supporting the global effort to contain this disease.

West Africa

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with Médecins Sans Frontières on the recent ebola outbreak.

Lynne Featherstone: The current outbreak of Ebola poses a serious public health risk to West Africa and is deeply concerning. The UK is funding Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) to provide treatment and care to Ebola patients in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and officials are in regular contact with MSF to discuss the response to the outbreak.

West Africa

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is giving to (a) Sierra Leone and (b) other countries in West Africa to them help counter the outbreak of Ebola; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The current outbreak of Ebola poses a serious public health risk to West Africa and is deeply concerning. The UK is taking a leading role in working with the countries affected and with the international community to ensure that the outbreak is contained and help reaches those in need. In total, over £25 million of British funding is supporting the global effort to contain this disease. This includes £5 million of new direct funding to help partners working on the ground like the WHO, Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières? to treat victims and prevent the spread of Ebola. Given the UK’s historical relationship with Sierra Leone, the majority of UK direct funding is supporting the response in that country. Overall £20 million of UK support is helping contain Ebola across West Africa through commitments to multilateral institutions (the World Bank and the African Development Bank) and the EU.

TREASURY

Banks: Telecommunications

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislative proposals to require all retail banks to offer a secure automated messaging services for customers.

Andrea Leadsom: There are no current plans to introduce legislation to require all retail banks to offer secure automated messaging services to customers.

Consumers: Protection

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2014, Official Report, column 355W, on consumers: protection, what assessment he has made of the effect on consumers of the limits on the Financial Conduct Authority's powers to issue fines in cases which involve (a) breaches before April 2014 and (b) investigations begun by other agencies before April 2014.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government has considerably strengthened the FCA’s powers in relation to misconduct which occurs under the new regulatory regime. For example, the FCA has the ability to impose unlimited fines for breaches of regulatory requirements that take place after 1 April 2014.
	Additionally, the Government has ensured that the FCA has inherited the OFT’s powers (both criminal and regulatory) in relation to misconduct which occurred before 1 April 2014. This means that the FCA can apply the sanctions available to the OFT under the previous regulatory regime.
	The FCA also has the ability to take into account evidence of previous misconduct when considering a firm’s fitness to hold FCA permission.

Corporation Tax

James Wharton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on the level of the threshold for corporation tax exemption for charities and unincorporated associations;
	(2)  if he will raise the threshold for corporation tax exemption for charities and unincorporated associations.

David Gauke: There is no restriction on the level of charitable trading a charity may carry out, and any profits are exempt from tax so long as the profits are used for wholly charitable purposes. When charities carry out non-charitable trading, there is a corporation tax exemption so long as the trading receipts are no more than £50,000 a year and represent no more than 25% of the charity’s incoming resources.
	Charities that wish to carry out non-charitable trading above these limits can set up and trade through a subsidiary trading company, which protects the charity from the possibility of trading losses. The subsidiary can then use corporate Gift Aid to pass any profits back to the parent charity without incurring a corporation tax charge.
	There is a similar exemption from tax on trading income for community amateur sports clubs, which is currently set at £30,000. The Government has announced this threshold will be raised to £50,000, to align with the charity small-scale trading exemption.
	The Government has no further plans to raise these thresholds which allow charities to undertake small scale non-charitable trading without the administrative burden of setting up a trading subsidiary. However, as with all reliefs and exemptions, we continue to keep the exemption for small-scale trading under review.
	Unincorporated associations are taxed as companies and have no specific corporation tax exemptions. In the same way as other companies, they are chargeable to corporation tax and are eligible for the same reliefs.
	The only exception to this rule concerns clubs and unincorporated organisations with very small tax liabilities, which are run exclusively for the benefit of their members and whose annual corporation tax liability is not expected to exceed £100. In this case, HMRC will treat the organisation as dormant.
	With regards to the representations received on these matters, Treasury Ministers and officials receive and consider a wide variety of representations from organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations. This is available online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Credit: Interest Rates

Mike Kane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the share of the payday lending market covered by (a) Experian, (b) Equifax, (c) CallCredit (d) CoreLogic and (e) FactorTrust;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the effect on credit scores of increased data sharing by payday lenders;
	(3)  if he will take steps to prohibit credit reference agencies from selling payday customer details to marketing agencies and lead generators;
	(4)  if he will instruct the Financial Conduct Authority to require credit reference agencies to report their data to the Authority for enforcement purposes.

Meg Hillier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to introduce regulation which requires payday lenders and credit reference agencies to contribute data on a real-time basis.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government has made clear to lenders that credit data sharing is key to proper affordability assessments and promoting a competitive market, and more progress on recording and using payday lending data in real time is vital to addressing problems around multiple loans.
	Having access to comprehensive real-time data about their customers’ outstanding commitments may help avoid consumers taking out a loan which they cannot afford to repay.
	The FCA has already made clear to payday lenders and credit reference agencies (CRAs) in its policy statement, published in February, that they must identify and remove any data sharing blockages involving payday lenders as a matter of urgency.
	In its consultation on the cap on the cost of payday loans, published in July, the FCA stated it expects to see more than 90% of current market participants - by market share and volume of loans-participating in real-time market-wide data sharing by November 2014, and more than 90% of loans being reported in real time. In order to improve the coverage of real-time databases, firms will also need to share data with more than one CRA.
	The FCA stated that it will request information from firms and CRAs in order to get an accurate picture of whether the standards it has proposed have been met by November. If the FCA does not see sufficient progress by November or CRA coverage does not improve, it will consult on the introduction of data sharing requirements. It has also placed a requirement on firms to provide product sales data on high-cost short-term credit agreements every three months once they are authorised.
	Credit reference agencies must ensure that that their use of personal data is compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The Information Commissioner’s Office is an independent UK supervisory authority that oversees and enforces compliance with the DPA.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will distribute any remaining funds in the Equitable Life Payment Scheme to Equitable Life victims at scheme closure.

Andrea Leadsom: No decisions have been taken. As reported in the Scheme’s July Progress Report, the Scheme has now issued payments of around £972.9 million to 877,414 policyholders. In the context of Scheme’s £1.5 billion allocation, which includes funding for the continuing annual payments to With-Profit Annuitants, the Scheme has made good progress in tracing policyholders. However, the Scheme remains committed to finding and paying as many eligible policyholders as possible prior to its closure. Any decision will therefore be taken at the end of the Scheme, taking account of ongoing challenges facing public finances at that time.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the fuel discount scheme for rural communities.

Priti Patel: The current rural fuel rebate scheme is in place for the Scottish Islands and the Isles of Scilly. An evaluation of the scheme by HMRC found it to be effectively meeting the policy objective of reducing the pump prices faced by motorists. The evaluation report can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/rural-fuel-duty-relief.pdf

Revenue and Customs

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees HM Revenue and Customs had in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: The Office for National Statistics publishes staffing figures in the Annual Civil Service Survey reports. These can be found at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pse/civil-service-statistics

Revenue and Customs

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's regional location strategy for HM Revenue and Customs offices is up to 2020.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reshaping to become a smaller, more highly skilled organisation to meet the efficiencies required by the spending reviews, 2010 and 2013.
	Its strategic intention is to move to fewer, larger regional centres, supplemented by other offices to provide specialist resources or touch down facilities for mobile staff. HMRC is considering what the offices of the future will look like and where they will be located. It is currently involving all staff in a national conversation on progress and expects more detail to be available at the end of 2015.
	In 2012 HMRC gave a commitment to retaining a presence in 16 key centres until at least 2020.

Revenue and Customs: South West

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposed closures of HM Revenue and Customs' enquiry centres on people in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) launched a new service across the UK on 29 May 2014 to support people who need extra help in getting their tax and benefits right. This replaced HMRC’s network of 281 Enquiry Centre’s which closed to the public on 30 June 2014.
	The decision to make this change was based on extensive evaluation from independent customer research, a 10-week public consultation exercise and a successful pilot of the new service which took place in the North East of England involving the closure of 13 Enquiry Centres from June to Dec 2013.
	The evaluation assessed the impact and effect on rural areas, transport links and costs to customers.
	The new service is more accessible to these communities, since customers are able to arrange appointments with HMRC at locations convenient to them, this includes visits to their home if appropriate.

Self-employed: National Insurance Contributions

Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which employers use self-employed staff to avoid paying national insurance contributions.

David Gauke: The Government has not made a recent assessment of the extent to which employers use self-employed staff to avoid paying National Insurance contributions.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many leaflets produced by his Department promoting the Government's policy on the Scottish independence referendum have had to be amended, altered or destroyed; and at what cost to the public purse.

Danny Alexander: HM Treasury has not produced any leaflets promoting the Government’s policy on the Scottish independence referendum.

Tax Avoidance

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many tax avoidance cases HM Revenue and Customs has litigated in each of the last five years; and in how many of these it was successful.

David Gauke: Between March 2010 and April 2014, decisions were handed down by the courts and tribunals in 124 tax avoidance cases litigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). HMRC was successful in winning all or some points in 101of these. Many of these cases involved several taxpayers, and concerned marketed avoidance schemes used by many more. The following table sets out the number of litigation cases that have been decided upon and the number of cases where HMRC has been successful on some or all points in the years 2010-11 to 2013-14. A similar analysis has not been made for 2009-10.
	
		
			  Decisions in avoidance cases Successes for HMRC 
			 2010-11 28 24 
			 2011-12 27 23 
			 2012-13 30 24 
			 2013-14 39 30

Tax Avoidance

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on tackling tax avoidance in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: This Government is committed to taking strong and robust action to tackle tax avoidance. Since April 2010 the Government has made 42 changes to tax law, closing loopholes and introducing major reforms to the UK tax system. These include the introduction of a General Anti-Abuse Rule and strengthening the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes regime.
	Through a tougher monitoring regime for high-risk promoters of tax avoidance schemes, backed up with penalties, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is taking significant action to discourage people from entering into expensive avoidance schemes which, in the majority of cases, don’t work. We legislated for Accelerated Payments in this year’s Finance Act, which will enable HMRC to collect disputed tax upfront, along with the new High Risk Promoters regime.
	We have invested £1 billion over this spending review period to tackle tax avoidance and evasion. HMRC have secured over £77 billion in compliance yield since the beginning of the Parliament; £31 billion of which was from large businesses, and £850 million of which was from High Net Worth individuals. Around 80% of the avoidance cases heard in the courts are being won by HMRC, with 30 wins protecting £2.7 billion of tax in 2013/14.

VAT: Imports

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the HMRC review into Simplified Import VAT Accounts.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) expect to publish a report by 30 September 2014 on Simplified Import VAT Accounts.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carer’s Allowance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring. It is also not intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.
	In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Income Support and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate of up to an additional £34.20 a week.

Carer’s Allowance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy that a person in receipt of carer's allowance may claim that allowance for each person cared for.

Mark Harper: Carer’s Allowance was introduced to provide a measure of financial support for carers who have forgone the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person. Carer's Allowance is not a payment for the services of caring, therefore it is payable for the care of only one severely disabled person, even if the carer is looking after two or more people and there are no plans to change this policy.

EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new EU directives and regulations have been transposed into UK law by his Department since May 2010.

Esther McVey: Since 2010, 66 EU directives have been transposed and 49 direct-acting EU regulations have come into effect.

Industrial Health and Safety

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the level of variation of health and safety regulations between local authorities and of the effect of such variation on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mark Harper: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has ongoing discussions with local authorities (LA) in respect of their regulation of health and safety, including an annual statistical return. The most recent assessment for 2013/14 and comparisons with previous years showed a continued move towards a greater consistency in approach by local authorities.
	The national activity and variation between local authorities is reported to the HSE/LA Enforcement Liaison Committee, published on the HSE website and used by local authorities in bench marking and peer review processes.
	No assessment has been made of the effect of any variation on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is his Department's policy to permit jobseeker's allownce claimants who follow their advisor's instructions to attend a jobcentre course instead of signing on to be sanctioned or have their claim stopped because they did not sign on.

Esther McVey: Where a Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant is required to participate in a Jobcentre course, they are given information, verbally and in writing, which includes details about the course itself, what they are required to do by way of participation, and whether they are still required to attend the Jobcentre and meet their benefit conditions whilst attending the course.
	There are some circumstances where DWP can excuse a person from the requirement to sign on, in order to enable them to participate in a course. This includes those claimants who are participating as a full-time student on an employment related course for a maximum of two weeks.
	However, in the majority of cases, claimants will be expected to sign on whilst participating in a course. Where conflicting appointments/course times arise, we make every effort to re-arrange claimants’ signing on arrangements.
	If the decision is that the claimant is to continue attending the Jobcentre and the claimant fails to do so, without having a good reason, their benefit may be sanctioned.

Lead: Industrial Health and Safety

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions have been brought against employers in respect of exposure of employees to lead in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: Occupational exposure to lead is regulated by the Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW) 2002.
	In the last three years to April 2014, the Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted the following number of cases in relation to breaches of CLAW:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2011-12 0 
			 2012-13 1 
			 2013-14 2

Lead: Industrial Health and Safety

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government is taking to protect the health of painters and decorators at work in relation to lead paint.

Mark Harper: Protection of the health of painters and decorators at work in relation to lead based paint is achieved by restricting access to such paints and by limiting exposure.
	The marketing and use of lead based paint is restricted in the UK by the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals Regulation (REACH). Under the current conditions of the REACH restriction, there is a derogation to allow for limited use of lead based paint in the restoration and maintenance of historic buildings and artwork. Those intending to use lead based paint must provide a declaration of the intended use to both the supplier and to the relevant competent authority before any work commences.
	Further protection is afforded by the Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW) 2002. These Regulations apply to activities involved in the application of lead based paint in permitted circumstances as described above and also to refurbishment work such as maintenance of buildings, where the removal of lead based paint can create risks of exposure.
	Under CLAW duty holders are required to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, including identifying whether lead based paint or other lead-containing material is present. Informed by that assessment, duty holders must identify, and implement adequate control measures to minimise the exposure of workers to inhalable lead particles and ensuring high standards of personal hygiene. If exposure to lead is likely to be significant, employers are also required to carry out air monitoring and medical surveillance of employees.

Unemployment: Brighton

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effects of the benefits cap on reducing unemployment in Brighton, Kemptown constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: The DWP will be evaluating the benefit cap policy and, where possible, its impact on movement into work later this year and expect to publish these findings in autumn 2014.
	The latest official Benefit cap statistics, available at
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341890/benefit-cap-may-2014.pdf
	show that by May 2014, 120 households had been capped in Brighton Kemptown constituency. Among the 54 households that are no longer capped, 17 have moved into work, as shown by them having an open Working Tax Credit claim. In addition to this there may be a small number of cases who have moved into work with sufficiently high salaries that they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of universal credit claimants have a payment made directly to their landlord;
	(2)  what the value is of payments made directly to landlords for universal credit claimants in (a) total and (b) each local authority.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not currently available.
	The Department published its strategy for releasing official statistics on Universal Credit (UC) in September 2013 which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics
	As outlined in the strategy, officials are currently quality assuring data for UC therefore it is not yet possible to give a definitive list of what statistics will be provided in the future. These statistics however will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
	The latest official experimental statistics on UC can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he will take to ensure that evaluations of the Work Programme look at its performance for ethnic minority jobseekers.

Esther McVey: DWP commissioned a comprehensive evaluation of the Work programme which was conducted by a consortium of external researchers led by the Institute for Employment Studies. This evaluation includes large scale surveys which include significant numbers of ethnic minority Work Programme participants.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which recommendations made by the Work Programme Best Practice Group have been (a) fully implemented, (b) partially implemented and (c) not implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: In October 2014 we will be publishing the full report of the Work Programme: Building Best Practice Group, and the Department's responses to each recommendation.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels: Imports

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the demand for biomass for combustion in the UK is met by imports.

Amber Rudd: In 2013, 35% of the demand for biomass for combustion was met by imports, net of exports.
	Source:
	Table DUKES 6.1 (columns B-E), Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2014, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/renewable-sources-of-energy-chapter-6-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

Energy: Billing

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes in energy bills on households and businesses in rural areas.

Amber Rudd: The Government is concerned about the effect of changes in energy bills on all households and businesses, including those in rural areas and considers the needs of all types of households and businesses when developing policies.
	We publish regular information on industrial energy prices and on domestic energy bills in DECC’s Quarterly Energy Prices. Industrial prices are only available at the UK level. Average domestic energy bills are produced for each of the 15 Public Electricity Supply (PES) regions in the UK:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-energy-prices
	We also publish regular information on the impact of policies on prices and bills.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-impacts-of-energy-and-climate-change-policies-on-energy-prices-and-bills

Energy: Meters

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  with reference to the policy document entitled, Helping households to cut their energy bills, supporting pages on smart meters, updated online on 24 July 2014, who receives the benefits of £17.1 billion for the installation of smart meters in homes; and what form those benefits take;
	(2)  with reference to the policy document entitled, Helping households to cut their energy bills, supporting pages on smart meters, updated online on 24 July 2014, who incurs the costs of £10.9 billion for the installation of smart meters in homes.

Matthew Hancock: Smart meters will bring an end to estimated billing, helping consumers to budget better and help make switching between suppliers easier and faster. Domestic and non-domestic consumers will have near-real time information on their energy consumption to help them control their energy use, and avoid wasting energy and money. Smart metering can transform the prepay experience. Topping up a smart meter in prepay mode should become as easy as topping up a mobile phone. New products and services will be supported in a vibrant, competitive, more efficient market in energy and energy management.
	Suppliers will have access to accurate data for billing and to improve their customer service. They will also be able to reduce costs, for example by reducing call centre traffic, removing the need for a site visit to read meters and better manage debt.
	Energy networks will have better information upon which to manage and plan their activities and smart meters enable smart grids which support sustainable energy supply.
	Energy suppliers will be responsible for purchasing and installing smart meters. Energy suppliers and other energy industry participants, such as network operators, will also incur costs as part of upgrades to their systems and for Data and Communications Company services, so that they are able to take full advantage of smart metering.
	As is the case with traditional meters, the Government expects that both costs and cost savings as a result of smart metering will be passed to consumers by competing energy suppliers through energy bills. We estimate that this is will result in energy bill reductions as a result of smart metering of £26 a year by 2020, rising to around £43 per household a year by 2030, for the average dual fuel domestic consumer—taking into account all the costs and savings.
	The Impact Assessment, updated in January 2014, provides further details of these benefits and costs:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meter-roll-out-for-the-domestic-and-small-and-medium-non-domestic-sectors-gb-impact-assessment

Fuel Poverty

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  with reference to chart 4.6 of the Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report 2014, published by his Department on 12 June 2014, what proportion of the (a) local authority, (b) owner-occupied, (c) private rented and (d) housing association households are in fuel poverty;
	(2)  with reference to table 4.6 of the Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report 2014, published by his Department on 12 June 2014, what proportion of the total fuel poverty gap is made up of (a) local authority, (b) owner-occupied, (c) private rented and (d) housing association households;
	(3)  with reference to section 4.2.4 of the Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report, published by his Department on 12 June 2014, what proportion of fuel-poor households live in (a) local authority, (b) owner-occupied, (c) private rented and (d) housing association housing.

Amber Rudd: The figures requested under the Low Income High Costs (LIHC) indicator for the years 2003-12 are given as follows:
	
		
			 Fuel Poverty by tenure, England, 
			 Tenure  Total number of households (thousand) Number of Fuel Poor households (thousand) Proportion of households within group who are Fuel Poor (%) As a proportion of households who are fuel poor (%) Aggregate fuel poverty gap (£million):Real Terms1 Average fuel poverty gap (£): Real Terms1 Proportion of aggregate fuel poverty gap (%) 
			 Local Authority 2003 2,338 528 23 21.6 107 203 17 
			  2004 2,215 477 22 19.2 86 180 13 
			  2005 2,059 374 18 15.4 75 201 10 
			  2006 1,980 310 16 13.7 75 242 8 
			  2007 1,885 278 15 11.8 66 236 7 
			  2008 1,908 286 15 11.7 70 244 7 
			  2009 1,776 277 16 11.1 62 224 6 
			  2010 1,758 234 13 9.5 53 226 5 
			  2011 1,816 183 10 7.7 42 232 4 
			  2012 1,728 164 9 7.2 36 218 4 
			          
			 Owner Occupied 2003 14,870 1,235 8 50.6 320 259 52 
			  2004 14,922 1,301 9 52.2 369 284 56 
			  2005 14,998 1,315 9 54.2 458 348 59 
			  2006 15,128 1,265 8 55.9 559 442 61 
		
	
	
		
			  2007 15,221 1,348 9 57.2 587 435 63 
			  2008 14,628 1,302 9 53.4 567 436 58 
			  2009 14,566 1,321 9 53.1 637 483 59 
			  2010 14,511 1,325 9 53.6 643 485 62 
			  2011 14,368 1,220 8 51.0 608 499 57 
			  2012 14,291 1,163 8 50.9 589 507 58 
			          
			 Private Rented 2003 1,966 467 24 19.1 152 324 24 
			  2004 2,184 490 22 19.7 165 337 25 
			  2005 2,326 511 22 21.0 196 383 25 
			  2006 2,368 495 21 21.9 232 468 25 
			  2007 2,472 540 22 22.9 233 432 25 
			  2008 2,996 626 21 25.7 288 459 29 
			  2009 3,287 663 20 26.7 323 486 30 
			  2010 3,401 701 21 28.3 290 414 28 
			  2011 3,716 782 21 32.7 361 461 34 
			  2012 3,929 755 19 33.1 336 445 33 
			          
			 Housing Association 2003 1,550 211 14 8.6 42 202 7 
			  2004 1,611 224 14 9.0 41 182 6 
			  2005 1,752 228 13 9.4 46 201 6 
			  2006 1,745 193 11 8.5 47 243 5 
			  2007 1,802 190 11 8.1 45 239 5 
			  2008 1,875 224 12 9.2 59 264 6 
			  2009 1,907 225 12 9.1 59 261 5 
			  2010 1,930 213 11 8.6 54 253 5 
			  2011 2,018 205 10 8.6 53 261 5 
			  2012 1,987 201 10 8.8 51 252 5 
			          
			 All households 2003 20,724 2,441 12 100.0 621 254 100 
			  2004 20,931 2,492 12 100.0 661 265 100 
			  2005 21,134 2,428 11 100.0 774 319 100 
			  2006 21,221 2,262 11 100.0 913 403 100 
			  2007 21,380 2,357 11 100.0 931 395 100 
			  2008 21,407 2,438 11 100.0 984 404 100 
			  2009 21,535 2,486 12 100.0 1,081 435 100 
			  2010 21,600 2,474 11 100.0 1,040 421 100 
			  2011 21,918 2,390 11 100.0 1,065 445 100 
			  2012 21,935 2,283 10 100.0 1,012 443 100

EDUCATION

Academies: Closures

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many new academies and studio colleges have been closed by her Department on the basis of lack of student numbers within their first year of trading;
	(2)  how many academies and studio colleges created from a pre-existing education institution were closed by her Department in the first year of trading;
	(3)  how many academies and studio colleges which were entirely new businesses were closed by her Department in the first year of trading.

Edward Timpson: Two studio colleges were closed by the Department for Education on the basis of lack of student numbers within their first year of trading. They were both entirely new businesses. No studio colleges created from a pre-existing education institution were closed by the Department in the first year.
	No academies which were entirely new businesses were closed by the Department in the first year. Three academies created from a pre-existing education institution merged with another establishment in the first year.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent progress she has made on the bursary scheme to set up cadet units in schools.

Edward Timpson: The Cadet Bursary Fund was launched by the Prime Minister on 18 June to help state schools set up, grow and sustain new cadet units. The aim of our Cadet Expansion Programme is to see 100 new state school units established by September 2015. 49 new units have been approved so far.
	The Cadet Bursary fund will be administered by the Combined Cadet Force Association. The Department for Education is supporting the development of a fundraising strategy to ensure the legacy of the fund.
	To date, £1,560,000 has been donated or pledged to the fund. This comprises £1 million from Libor funds, £250,000 from Youth United funding and £310,000 from private donations. The fund will open to applications from schools involved in the Cadet Expansion Programme on 15 September, and grant decisions will be announced in early December.
	We will publish the full details on the application process and detailed guidance for schools shortly.

Chemistry: Teachers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will extend the provision of post-ITT Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses for chemistry teachers.

David Laws: For the past two years, the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) has funded a number of higher education institutions (HEIs) to deliver post ITT subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) training to support schools to address workforce capacity challenges in shortage subjects, traditionally secondary maths, physics, chemistry and modern foreign languages (MFL). The programme has provided subject knowledge training to a level that would be required to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS) to qualified teachers who did not train in their SKE subject.
	The Department for Education’s vision is to work with schools to develop an education system in which teacher and leadership training, continuous professional development (CPD) and school-to-school support are delivered locally by partnerships led by the best head teachers. We are encouraging schools to find local solutions to their particular challenges and supporting teaching school alliances (TSAs) and system leaders to deliver innovative solutions to drive up standards. In line with this vision, NCTL are no longer funding HEIs in 2014-15 and instead are running a test and learn project with 45 teaching school alliances. TSAs will be responsible for designing and delivering post ITT SKE provision, focusing on secondary maths, physics, chemistry, computing, MFL and primary maths to meet their local/regional need. How they deliver the project and the subject they choose to focus on is entirely their decision and we expect to see a diverse range of approaches building on existing partnerships. This is not intended as a direct replacement for HEI delivered post ITT SKE programmes, and the opportunity remains for teachers and schools to purchase courses from HEIs to meet their professional development needs.
	The National Science Learning Centre and five regional Science Learning Centre Consortia offer high quality science CPD for teachers and technicians working with pupils aged 5 to 19. Teachers are encouraged to consider the opportunities offered by the Regional Science Learning Centres, who also provide professional development bursaries (Impact Awards) that are funded by the Department for Education.

Chemistry: Teachers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make it her policy to encourage more universities to provide chemistry subject knowledge enhancement courses which are 24 weeks or longer.

David Laws: Initial teacher training (ITT) providers and School Direct (SD) schools are responsible for identifying whether an ITT applicant needs to undertake a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course and the length of any course required. This decision is based on the ITT provider or SD school’s assessment of the applicant’s subject knowledge and the requirements of the ITT course they have applied to.
	ITT providers and SD schools can commission SKE courses from any source or they can deliver SKE courses themselves. All universities are able to offer SKE courses. The National College for Teaching and Leadership promotes these courses through its online SKE course directory and “Get into Teaching” website. The course directory includes 53 SKE courses in chemistry provided by 20 universities, including the university of Worcester. Officials are working with the Royal Society of Chemistry to promote chemistry SKE in the coming academic year.

Children: Abuse

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps her Department is taking in response to research in the NSPCC's report, Returning home from care.

Edward Timpson: A robust assessment of the needs of a child and their family and how these needs will be met through ongoing support from the local authority is crucial if children are to return home safely and successfully from care. Improving practice when children return home from care is a priority for the Government.
	In September 2013, the Government published the ‘Improving Permanence for looked-after children’ data pack, which is published online:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-permanence-for-looked-after-children-data-pack
	The data pack encourages local authorities to consider their own systems and processes for returning children home and to improving their rate of success.
	In 2013 the Department consulted on a range of proposals to improve permanence for looked-after children. Department for Education officials have convened a meeting of the relevant Expert Group on 9 September to discuss these issues and the Government’s formal response will be published later this year.
	The Government has commissioned the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) and the Centre for Child and Family Research (CCFR) at Loughborough University to deliver an action research project. The project is working with frontline practitioners and families to support improved practice in returning children home.
	This project is complemented by research we have commissioned from the NSPCC and the University of Bristol. Their approach is ‘top down’, working with senior practitioners to implement a specific model of support for children returning home, developed and tested by NSPCC. This research will build on earlier work by NSPCC and includes a focus on implementation science, identifying savings and efficiencies, and developing a practice model that can be used by local authorities without the need for specialist support from the NSPCC.
	Both of these research projects will report in 2015.

Children: Protection

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she is taking to ensure that children who have been looked after because of abuse or neglect receive appropriate support and monitoring to prevent further abuse when they return home.

Edward Timpson: A robust assessment of the needs of a child and their family and how these needs will be met through on-going support from the local authority is crucial if children are to return home safely and successfully from care. The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 are clear that the child’s care plan must provide details of the advice, assistance and support that the responsible authority intends to provide after the child has returned home. Page 19 of ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013’ sets out the principles and parameters of a good assessment. The guidance is published online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children
	Improving practice when children return home from care is a priority for the Government. In 2013 we consulted on a range of proposals to improve permanence for looked-after children. Department for Education officials have convened a meeting of the relevant Expert Group on 9 September to discuss these issues and the Government’s formal response will be published later this year.

Children’s Centres

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will review the adequacy of current statutory guidance on the sharing of live birth data with children’s centres.

Sam Gyimah: The Government has no plans to review the statutory guidance for children’s centres on the sharing of live birth data.
	The Department for Education’s Sure Start children’s centres statutory guidance says that health services and local authorities should share information (such as live birth data and data on families with children under five who have recently moved into the area) with children’s centres on a regular basis.

EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many new EU directives and regulations have been transposed into UK law by her Department since May 2010.

Nicholas Boles: The Department for Education has not had responsibility for transposing into UK law any EU directives or regulations since May 2010.

Free School Meals

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will place in the Library all assessments her Department has conducted on the planning and implementation of providing free school meals to all infants; and if she will make a statement.

David Laws: Evidence collected from local authorities and 14 multi-academy trusts between 11 August and 22 August 2014 suggested that 98.5% of schools would be providing hot meals from the start of term. We have published a statistical notice that provides further details and is available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-infant-free-school-meals-schools-offering-a-hot-meal
	A copy has also been placed in the House Library.

GCE A-level

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students enrolled to study A2 levels in September 2013 in (a) school sixth forms, (b) academy sixth forms, (c) sixth form colleges and (d) 16 to 19 free schools.

David Laws: The information requested is not currently available. Provisional information for students entered for A2 levels in the 2013/14 academic year will be available in October 2014.

GCE AS-level

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students enrolled to study AS levels in September 2012 in (a) school sixth forms, (b) academy sixth forms, (c) sixth form colleges and (d) 16 to 19 free schools.

David Laws: Information on the number of students who entered AS level qualifications in the 2012/13 academic year by school type is provided in the table.
	
		
			 Number of students1 aged 16 to 192 entered for GCE AS levels by institution type. Year: 2012/13 (Final). Coverage: England 
			 Institution type Number of students entered for AS level qualifications 
			 State-funded mainstream schools3 226,081 
			   
			 All state-funded schools4 226,111 
			 Of which:  
		
	
	
		
			 Local authority maintained mainstream schools5 95,270 
			 Sponsored academies-mainstream6 17,861 
			 Converter academies-mainstream6 112,082 
			 City Technology Colleges 435 
			 Mainstream free schools, university technical colleges (UTCs) and studio schools7 433 
			 State-funded special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units (PRUs) and alternative provision (AP) free schools8 30 
			   
			 Independent schools 34,174 
			 Of which:  
			 Independent schools 33,999 
			 Independent special schools and non-maintained special schools9 175 
			   
			 All schools10 260,285 
			   
			 FE sector colleges 118,492 
			 Of which:  
			 Sixth form colleges 77,780 
			 Other FE sector colleges11 40,712 
			   
			 All schools and FE sector colleges 378,777 
			 1 Covers students who were entered for at least one AS Level qualification in the 2012/13 academic year. 2 Covers students aged 16, 17 or 18 at the start of the 2012/13 academic year, ie 31 August 2012. 3 Academies (sponsor and converter mainstream); community, voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and foundation schools; city technology colleges (CTCs), free schools (mainstream, UTC, studio school, 16-19). 4 Includes all state-funded mainstream schools plus community special, foundation special, community hospital and foundation hospital schools; PRUs; special academies; converter academy special schools; special free schools; and AP free schools. 5 School sixth forms are defined as community, voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and foundation schools with 16-19 year old students. 6 Academy sixth forms are defined as sponsored and converter academies with 16-19 year old students. 7 In 2012/13, there were no students aged 16 to 19 in 16-19 free schools only, however, this does include students from other types of free schools. 8 Community special, foundation special, community hospital and foundation hospital schools; PRUs; special academies; converter academy special schools; special free schools; and AP free schools. 9 Independent special schools, independent schools approved to take pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and non-maintained special schools. 10 All state-funded schools and independent schools. 11 Further education sector colleges; other government department funded colleges; and special colleges. Source: 2012/13 Key Stage 5 attainment data (final)

GCE AS-level

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of students who enrolled in September 2012 to study AS levels in a (a) school sixth form, (b) academy sixth form, (c) sixth form college and (d) 16 to 19 free school dropped out during the first year of their course.

David Laws: The information requested is not held by the Department for Education.

Mandarin: GCSE

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in state schools secondary education obtained a GCSE in Mandarin Chinese in each year since January 2011.

David Laws: It is not possible to identify pupils entered for Mandarin Chinese from the Department for Education’s data. However, the Department does hold information on the number of entries into GCSE Chinese which includes Mandarin Chinese and other Chinese subjects. In the academic year 2010/11, there were 2,480 entries for GCSE Mandarin, 2,307 in the academic year 2011/12 and 2,346 in the academic year 2012/13. This information is published in the GCSE statistical first release (subject time series table) at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2012-to-2013-revised

Science: Teachers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she is taking to help schools provide subject-specific continuing professional development for science teachers.

David Laws: The Department for Education currently supports curriculum-focused continuing professional development (CPD) for science teachers and technicians through a contract with Myscience.co Ltd to manage five regional science learning centres (RSLCs). The five RSLCs additionally co-ordinate and quality assure up to 10 local science learning partnerships (SLPs) each, which bring together teaching schools and other outstanding schools, higher education institutions, independent schools, further education and sixth-form colleges and employers and industry experts to deliver CPD locally.
	In addition, the Department provides funding to Myscience.co Ltd to support the payment of impact awards for science teachers and technicians who attend and undertake CPD run by the regional science learning centres and science learning partnerships.
	The Department also funds the Triple Science Support Programme (TSSP), delivered by Myscience.co Ltd, to provide an extensive programme of practical support and guidance to schools on how to provide triple science at GCSE level. The TSSP focuses its support on schools that do not currently offer triple science or that have few pupils taking triple science.
	The Department supports the improvement of science teaching through a joint arrangement with the Wellcome Trust and industry partners to fund CPD through scholarship awards called Enthuse Awards. Over five years from August 2013 to July 2018, the Department will provide £10 million to schools to support teachers’ attendance at high quality science CPD training delivered by the National Science Learning Centre.
	The Stimulating Physics Network has also been set up to provide support at regional level to increase progression to A-level physics. This is funded by the Department and administered by the Institute of Physics. The network provides two strands of support: universal support for all schools, which offers programmes of workshops, networking opportunities and other professional development events though a team of physics network co-ordinators; and developing intensive partnerships with selected schools provided through a team of teaching and learning coaches who facilitate tailored programmes of CPD.

Special Educational Needs

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2014, Official Report, column 551W, on disadvantaged pupils, what research her Department has commissioned into the role of special educational needs co-ordinators in decisions on how to spend the Pupil Premium; and for what reason no guidance was issued to schools on this matter.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has not commissioned any research to date specifically on the role of special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) in decisions on how to spend the pupil premium, just as the Department does not advise schools in any general sense on how they should spend the pupil premium. This is because schools are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their disadvantaged pupils, and to develop their own processes for deciding pupil premium spending priorities. Schools will of course wish to involve SENCOs in reviewing the evidence on effective practice in raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils with special educational needs, and use their findings to inform spending decisions.

CABINET OFFICE

Big Society Network

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  under what criteria the Big Society Network was contracted to run the Giving summits;
	(2)  how much the Big Society Network has received for administering the Big Society Awards in each of the last three years;
	(3)  against what criteria the Big Society Network was awarded the contract for running the Big Society Awards;
	(4)  how much has been given to the Big Society Network for the purpose of running the Giving summit in each of the last three years.

Brooks Newmark: Grants were awarded to Society Network Foundation to deliver aspects for the Big Society Awards and the Giving summit following consideration of proposals put forward by Society Network Foundation.
	In 2012-13, £350,000 was paid to Society Network Foundation for the delivery of aspects of the Big Society Awards, £12,000 for delivering certain aspects of the Giving summit and promotion of the Big Society. In 2013-14, £150,000 was paid to Society Network Foundation for delivery of aspects of the Big Society Awards.

Domestic Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2014, Official Report, column 359W, on domestic visits, what domestic visits he has made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 July 2014, Official Report, column 360W.

Energy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to reduce energy costs in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Information regarding my Department’s energy consumption and meeting the cross-government Greening Government Commitments (GGC) can be found in the 2013-14 Annual Report at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325326/41432_HC_Cabinet_Office_annual_report_2013_to_2014_print_ready.pdf
	A copy of this publication is also available in the House of Commons Library.

Government Departments: Cybercrime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the number of cyber-attacks on Government IT systems since January 2014.

Francis Maude: We are now seeing around 100 sophisticated attacks a month on UK Government or industry networks. The Government has committed £860 million until 2016 to the transformative National Cyber Security Programme to bolster the UK’s cyber defences. The National Cyber Security Strategy, published November 2011, sets out how the UK will support economic prosperity, protect national security and safeguard the public’s way of life by building a more trusted and resilient digital environment.
	We do not comment on specific details of cyber security attacks on Government IT systems.

Government Departments: ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance the Government Digital Service issues to department on minimum requirements for IT systems reliability and availability.

Francis Maude: The Government Service Design Manual provides guidance and advice on designing and building digital services. This covers both reliability and availability.
	This is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/service-manual

Radiation Exposure

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what work the Horizon Scanning Programme has undertaken on the implications for environmental security of (a) an accident at a nuclear facility involving a large release of radiation and (b) the sabotage of a nuclear facility or nuclear cargo in transit by a terrorist group;
	(2)  what issues are currently under examination by the Horizon Scanning Programme.

Oliver Letwin: The Horizon Scanning Programme has investigated emerging technologies, emerging economies, the changing supply and demand of resources, changing social attitudes of young people, and the future of demographic change in the UK. The Programme continues to draw on observations from these areas alongside exploring potential new areas of investigation, which include the future of work, regulation and rural communities.
	The Horizon Scanning Programme has not examined the implications for environmental security in regards to nuclear facilities and does not plan to do so in the future. The risks posed in the question are however considered as part of the National Risk Assessment process.

Unemployment: Older People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people over 50 years old in each region and constituent part of the UK have been unemployed for over 12 months.

Brooks Newmark: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated September 2014
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people over 50 years old in each region and constituent part of the UK have been unemployed for over 12 months (208076).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics for areas smaller than the UK from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The table shows the number of people aged 50 years and over who had been unemployed for 12 months or more in each region and constituent part of the UK, according to survey responses from the APS for the 12 month period April 2013 to March 2014, the latest available period.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a certain level of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates of the levels is included in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Number1 of people aged 50 or over unemployed for 12 months or more 
			  Thousand 
			 North East ***12 
			 North West ***21 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber ***16 
			 East Midlands ***13 
			 West Midlands ***19 
			 East of England ***12 
			 London ***24 
			 South East ***16 
			 South West ***12 
			 Wales ***7 
			 Scotland ***18 
			 Northern Ireland ***7 
			 UK **176 
		
	
	
		
			 1 Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value, the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey and Annual Labour Force Survey

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Brass Bands

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many requests for funding have been made to the Arts Council by brass bands in each of the last three years; and how many such requests were (a) accepted in full, (b) accepted in part and (c) rejected.

Edward Vaizey: A list of the eligible applications to the Arts Council in the last three years in the sub-art form “Brass and Silver bands” will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. However, some activity for which brass bands play a constituent part may not be included, as the wider activity has not been classified specifically as such. Ineligible applications are not recorded by sub-art form.

Domestic Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2014, Official Report, column 13W, on domestic visits, what domestic visits he and his predecessor has made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

Helen Grant: Details of Ministers’ visits are published quarterly and can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dcms-meetings-and-hospitality-data-october-to-december-2013

EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many new EU directives and regulations have been transposed into UK law by his Department since May 2010.

Edward Vaizey: Since January 2010, DCMS has transposed four EU directives into UK law; and four EU regulations have come into effect within our areas of responsibility.

National Anthems

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals for an English national anthem.

Edward Vaizey: There are no plans to recommend to Her Majesty the Queen that any change should be made to the UK national anthem, nor are there any plans to introduce an official English anthem.

Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) direct employees, (b) outsourced workers and (c) agency workers in Executive agencies which report to his Department are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Helen Grant: DCMS does not have any direct employees who are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.
	DCMS is not responsible for setting pay levels for contracted workers. This is a matter for the organisations who employ them. However, we actively encourage employers to ensure that the living wage is paid and we would monitor these when contracts are being negotiated.
	We do not hold central records for our arms lengths bodies.

Television

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on the purchase of televisions in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date.

Helen Grant: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not purchased any televisions in the periods stated.